


To Satiate Her Curiosity

by smoothpeachbutt



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Aphrodisiacs, Askr (Fire Emblem Heroes), Askr AU, Bath Houses, Body Worship, Breeding Kink, Byleth is a Sexual Noob, Claude is Very Horny, Clit Play, Cunnilingus, Doggy Style, F/F, F/M, Female My Unit | Byleth, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Light Dom/sub, Marathon Sex, Masturbation, Mistakes, Multi, Mutual Masturbation, Oral Sex, Orgasm, Outdoor Sex, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Post-time Skip Claude, Pre-time Skip Byleth, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Semi-Public Sex, Sharing Body Heat, Threats of Rape but as Flashback, Threesome - F/F/M, Touching, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, blowjob, boob fixation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:28:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 50,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26933632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smoothpeachbutt/pseuds/smoothpeachbutt
Summary: Claude was denied the love of his life back in his world, but when he is presented with a second chance to get Byleth in this strange new land, he wastes no time to take her for himself.And all for the better, as his favorite professor has no idea about the matters of the heart.------------------------------Tags will be updated as chapters are released!EDIT: Changed the Archive Warnings as recent chapters will be a bit bumpy, as the story has progressed to something deeper than just plain smut (but have no fear, there still will be!)
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Claude von Riegan, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 39
Kudos: 182





	1. First Touch

_She’s here._

The King of Almyra stopped in his tracks as he saw a familiar face, one that he knew all too well. All clad in black and signature lace tights, the small-figured woman was just a few meters away from him, polishing her sword. His heart leapt as he continued to watch her from his place by the stables. The albino wyvern he’d just helped to settle in was similarly drawn to the woman and flapped her wings in response, causing some gust to scatter the hay. 

“Woah… everything okay with your wyvern?” bellowed Anna, the commander of the Askran army, walking towards him. She handed over a small woven basket, stuffed with multiple goods. “Here are the supplies you requested, by the way.”

Claude reached for the basket and searched for a raw slab of meat, which he fed to Nagini, his veteran white companion. “Thank you, Commander. And yes, she’s perfectly fine. Just saw someone familiar.”

Anna curiously looked towards the clearing opposite them. “Ah, Professor Byleth is it? Of course. You’re familiar with her.”

Claude only chuckled but made a mental reply in his head. _More than familiar,_ he thought, pertaining to the few months prior to his arrival in Askr when he was with a different Byleth. Back in his version of Fodlan, the only difference of the Byleth there from here was the hair and eye color, and slightly more mature personality, considering the years that had gone by in their timeline. But her beauty and quiet confidence were still the same, radiating from the professor even meters away.

“The professor arrived just a month prior to you here in Askr, and she’s been a huge help,” said Anna, also observing Byleth who was now joined by three young lords donning their respective house colors. Claude recognized the trio all too well, smirking as he observed a younger version of himself. 

“Them too? Must have been such a ruckus.” he both asked and commented, acknowledging the mischievous smile he so often plastered to his face as a teenager. Although amused at his scheming counterpart, Claude straightened his face when he observed the Prince of Faerghus, who was placing his hand on Byleth’s shoulder in some show of appreciation he couldn’t decipher from afar.

“Yes, the whole band arrived together, and yes, to be honest your younger self has been quite troublesome, albeit successful with his sneaky plots against the Emblan forces.”

Claude patted his own shoulder and beamed with pride. “Maybe you don’t need me here after all, Commander. Looks like you’ve got a handful of lordlings.”

“Handful is true, but the professor’s got them all under control. Her students are quite obedient.”

_Or hopelessly enamored_ , Claude thought to himself again, observing the golden-haired prince continue to lean more towards their professor. He was very familiar with the prince’s real intentions, something that he had to contend with countless times back home. Where the King of Faerghus had won the hand of the beautiful Archbishop in his world, the King of Almyra realized he could start over here… and turn the tides of the war for her heart in his favor. 

From afar the group of students and their professor started to make their way back to camp. As Byleth turned, she spotted Claude and curiously cocked her head to the side. Claude’s heart skipped a beat as he stared back at the familiar, expressionless face of his former professor. He quickly shot his best smile and waved back at her. Byleth still looked at him with intrigue but then proceeded to walk away. 

_If I can’t have you there, I’ll take you here Teach_ , the King thought, clenching his fists and scheming his next move.

\------------------- 

Claude’s scheme had been going just as planned; however, to an untrained eye, it would seem as if he had not made any progress at all. The king and the young professor had no interaction the whole week, as each were assigned to different battalions. But this was exactly where he wanted her—constantly curious about the King of Almyra, the hot new warrior that had joined the Order of Heroes, striking down foes left and right with his shining bow and his vicious but majestic albino wyvern. While he gained popularity among the other heroes, he intentionally kept his distance from Byleth, only leaving occasional smiles when he caught her stealing glances at him. Just enough to tease…

Soon, Claude had the perfect opportunity to test his little experiment. By the end of the week, he was chosen for a covert mission—to retrieve a relic from a small block of Emblan troops. Although the Hoshidan ninjas were stealthier, the hideout was situated in the mountains, which they would reach fastest with his wyvern. Claude seized the chance to nominate Byleth to accompany him, arguing that he would still need backup, and that the professor’s strength and speed would make quick work of the troops. 

And thus their first official interaction was among fifty Emblan soldiers. Claude swooped down from the skies, shooting triple arrows and hitting bullseyes through the enemy’s necks. Byleth descended from her partner’s wyvern transport and unleashed the whip range of the Sword of the Creator, admonishing multiple soldiers in one go. Soon, Claude too landed on the soil to fight with Byleth side by side, brandishing his own sword and alternating with his bow. The pair moved gracefully and swiftly, covering each other’s backs and eliminating troops with synchronicity. They secured the relic from a carriage and escaped to the skies before reinforcements could arrive. The journey back was farther than expected, and they decided to stop and rest at an isolated clearing for the night. 

“Alright, this looks like a good spot to settle in,” Claude said, as he motioned for Nagini to descend. As soon as they landed, Claude jumped off first, then reached out a hand for Byleth to help her off. The professor took his hand cautiously, confused by his gentlemanly demeanor. Although her face was blank, she stepped away and watched the king as he worked on his wyvern. 

Claude knew that she was observing him intently, displaying the same curiosity she had for him the whole week. With his back towards her as he fixed Nagini’s reins, he smiled smugly and set his plan in motion. 

“Is my face really that interesting, Teach?” he called out, knowing that he’d rattle her with his favorite pet name. 

Byleth blinked at his sudden inquiry and crossed her arms in defense. “Why do you say that?”

Claude smiled to himself again. “Well, you’re awfully quiet. I have no idea what you find so interesting about me. Something on your mind, Teach?”

“You’re… a different Claude,” was all Byleth could say, but still with a blank stare. Although Claude was already used to deciphering his professor’s limited reactions, he was still frustrated with her stoicism. He had to poke her wall a bit further. 

“Well, I _am_ older. So, what else?”

Byleth bit her lip at having to reveal her thoughts more than she was used to. “Your wyvern. You ride very well and she’s extremely fast.”

Nagini snorted happily from the comment. “Why yes, Nagini’s the most powerful and _only_ albino wyvern who can outfly even hot-blooded young dragons in heat. I’ve been training and riding these majestic creatures ever since I was a young boy.”

“Hm… The other Claude never mentioned wanting to ride one.”

Claude walked towards Byleth with Nagini’s reins in his hands. “You mean my younger self? I’m sure he’ll find the right time to tell you, Teach.” He winked at her as he replied. 

“How about your sword technique? I thought you were only into archery,” Byleth immediately asked, although she surprised herself for being unusually engaging. 

“Young Claude’s still into bows right? Ha, that sounds about right—I wasn’t much for direct combat when I was younger.” Claude said as he finished securing Nagini’s reins to the same tree that Byleth had been leaning on. 

“You were pretty good with your sword during our mission earlier. Did you learn this in Almyra? Is that why you’re the King? Because you can wield both bow and sword and ride wyverns?” she blurted out multiple questions, truly intrigued by the man’s origins. 

Claude turned towards the blue-haired female and flashed his signature smile. He placed his right forearm against the tree, slightly above Byleth’s small frame. “My, you have a lot of questions, Teach. You seem to be very curious about me,” he smirked, leaning in closer to her. He then raised his idle hand to her face, pushing away a fallen strand of hair. “I, in fact, am very curious about you too…”

Byleth froze in place and stared at his bright green eyes. The fingers that had grazed her cheeks sent a chill through Byleth, and Claude continued his movements by tucking her hair behind her ear. He then gently traced the outline of her ear, ran it slowly along her jawline, and finally placed a firmer touch on the white collar of her uniform. However, despite what Byleth may have expected, Claude pulled her cloak gently to reveal a small gash on her shoulder.

“I’m curious about your little wound there, Teach,” he said, waking Byleth from her trance. She took a few seconds to realize that he was referring to her right shoulder, suddenly remembering an earlier tryst with an Emblan soldier. “There’s a stream nearby. We should get that cleaned up.” 

Byleth immediately placed her palm on the wound to stop the bleeding. “I-I’ll do it…” was all that she could blurt out, immediately looking away from the towering noble. She ducked under him and made for the stream, not realizing that Claude had caught wind of the bright flush across her cheeks. 

\-----------------------  
By the time Byleth reached the stream, nightfall had turned the area completely dark, with only the moon dimly illuminating the waters. Being ever cautious, Byleth scanned the area thrice before she stripped her cloak and armor, then proceeded to remove the rest of her clothes and underwear. She entered the shallow stream and kneeled down to engulf the rest of her body. The professor started to clean herself—first to wash her light shoulder wound, then the rest of her lithe figure from dirt and sweat. 

Byleth sighed with relief from being able to wash herself. She lay down to float on her back, and closed her eyes to take in the peace. She tried to clear her mind, but the only image entering her head was that of bright green eyes, long eyelashes, chocolate skin, a strong jawline, and a sexy, lustful smile. She felt heat build up in her cheeks, and as if reading her mind, a familiar playful voice called out to her from the direction of the shore. 

“You took off too fast, Teach. I brought you some washcloths to dry yourself with.”

Byleth opened her eyes and jolted upwards, covering her chest. Claude muffled a small laugh at the sight and placed the linens by her clothes on the ground. “Oops, sorry about that Teach. Just wanted to make sure you’re okay by your lonesome out here.”

“I-I’m fine…” Byleth shivered, turning her bare back to the King of Almyra. As he had invaded her privacy, she expected him to leave; however, the next thing she heard was the soft thud of metal and cloth dropping to the ground, then a splash in the water just behind her. 

“Phew, this feels great!” exclaimed Claude. Byleth saw him from the corner of her eye, catching a glimpse of his bare chest as he poured water over his body. It trickled down from his broad and muscular pectorals, branching out across his chiseled abdomen, and downward to the hem of his tight breeches that hung low around his pelvis. The moon was above Claude, illuminating his perfect body like a god that had descended from the heavens. 

The professor quickly turned away again. “W-what are you doing in here, Claude??” she shouted, trying to find her voice. 

“To clean myself too, what else?” he started, although with a smirk on his face, fully aware of his little scheme. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Teach. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”

“What do you mean by that!?” Byleth almost turned to confront him but thought better than to reveal her own nakedness. 

“You do know I’m from a different time, right?” he replied, trying to divert the topic. “I hate to break it to ya, but _this_ is the different kind of Claude you should be getting used to.”

Byleth paused for a moment, still with her back towards him. She hummed quietly, considering his words. “Yes… I suppose so. You’re quite different from my student.”

Claude started to wade slowly towards her. “Pray tell—what have you observed about me, Teach?”

“Your tactical prowess, and abilities with the wyvern and sword…”

“You already mentioned those earlier,” Claude said with a devilish grin, closely approaching her without his former professor noticing. “What else?”

Byleth gulped and closed her eyes. “You… have longer, but more tame hair.”

“Mhm… go on.”

“You’re much taller, and have a strong big build…”

“Sure…”

“You grew a beard…”

“I did? I never noticed!” Claude replied sarcastically, raising both his hands in the air. 

“Haha, I take it back; you’re just like your younger self.” Byleth giggled as she heard the similarities in the way both versions of Claude teased. It eased her tension, but did the opposite for the older lord, who clenched his fists in anticipation. Claude was enamored by her quiet laugh, and the fact that he was able to finally elicit an emotion out of Byleth ignited a fire in him. He grabbed her from behind and pressed his wanting body against hers. 

“Well how about down here, Teach? Am I like my younger self?”

Like earlier, Byleth froze in place, shivers running from her neck down to her bare back, where something long had stiffened against her. She gasped as Claude started to grind against her soft behind, pressing his aching manhood against the crack of her butt cheeks. Despite his underclothes being the only thing that hindered skin-to-skin contact, Byleth could feel the whole length and shape of his hot and throbbing shaft. 

Claude lowered his head to her neck. He breathed into her ear, voice raspy yet powerful. “Tell me, Teach… does your baby Golden Deer get this hard for you?” He licked the outline of her ear and along her bare neck, tasting her signature sweetness. Byleth gasped and tried to shift, albeit strong hands holding her arms down in place. “I-I don’t know him that w-way…” she willed herself to reply.

The king pressed wet kisses on her nape and under her jawline. “Oh? Perhaps it was with his princeliness… You seem quite close.” He didn’t quite enjoy having to mention his rival, but he wanted to tease his professor further. 

“I haven’t… ungh…been with anyone…” She shivered and let out a mewl from his sensual kisses, embarrassed to admit her secret. 

Claude’s manhood twitched at the realization that her virginity was something he could experience with her twice. He bucked his pelvis forward, trying to rut against her round ass. He so wanted to pull out his dick to rub it in all the right places, but he had to control himself. 

“Then I want you to feel my touch, Byleth.” He reached for her chest from behind and gently groped. 

The professor gasped loudly at both the feel of his hands and the use of her first name. Claude’s strong, calloused fingers were kneading her mounds, nipples standing erect with just one flick of his thumb. He ran circles around the areola, causing the shivering professor to moan at the new sensation. Claude moaned into her ear as well, reminded of her soft, sumptuous breasts which he used to fondle often. However, this Byleth had perkier tits, and they were extremely responsive. 

“Mmh… your breasts... still so big and sensitive as ever,” Claude said as he continued to knead and pinch her breasts, while exploring her smooth nape. Byleth’s mind raced with Claude’s ministrations. She had never experienced this before, and her body was hot and weak under his large frame that pressed her against him so tightly. She tried to pull his forearms from her chest but couldn’t find the strength to break away. The way his long and rock-hard dick grinded against her butt made her limp and powerless. She felt an unfamiliar sensation by her crotch—a sort of wetness that definitely wasn’t water.

Claude felt her stir under him, her butt pressing closer to him out of instinct. He smirked, recognizing a tell when the professor was feeling needy. One of his hands started to travel downwards, caressing every curve of her waist and round hips, then grasping at her inner thigh. Again, she bucked her hips slightly backwards in response, her own body trying to elicit more friction. Claude licked his lips in anticipation. “My, someone’s getting quite excited. You sure this isn’t your first time?”

Before Byleth could reply, he ran his middle finger along her folds, which caused the professor to moan her loudest thus far. Claude’s finger was coated in her slick with just one pass, and he brought it up to her face to see. “Woah there Teach! Look how much of you is on my finger…” Claude said, amazed. 

Byleth, blushing hard from the sensation, managed to inquire instead of argue. “W-what is that…?”

“Oh Teach… this is your cum,” Claude chuckled devilishly, delighted at her lack of experience. “Have you never seen your juices before?”

As Byleth shook her head, Claude moaned in satisfaction of having been the first to give her a lewd experience. “Mmm, Teach you shouldn’t be simply admitting these things… look what you’re making me feel,” he said, grinding his pelvis further into behind. “You see—you produce cum when you get touched in your most sensitive parts… and when you enjoy it.”

Claude now ran his slick-coated finger along her collarbone, drawing a line downwards between her two mounds, her navel, and until the top of her throbbing core, just slightly above her most private button. “Want to know how much more can flow out of you?” 

Byleth gave a loud shout as Claude pressed on her clit. He was touching parts that she herself had not explored or known of before, and she was dumbstruck at all these new sensations that rendered her powerless. The king slightly pinched her sensitive button, and he melted into her neck as he reminisced the last time he felt Byleth’s sex. He rubbed her labia, sighing at the softness of an untouched pussy. With her extreme wetness, Claude then dipped a finger into her hole, which made Byleth arch her back in response and gasp loudly.

“Shhh… It’s okay Teach, I gotcha,” Claude whispered into her ear again, soothing her although unsuccessfully. Byleth was trembling vigorously and her hips clenched. She didn’t know that something could enter her hole down south, let alone a stranger’s finger. Although her mind tried to rationalize the situation, her body wanted the opposite: to discover more of this pleasurable sensation.

Claude inserted another finger, which went in slower than he expected. “Goddess, you’re too tight, Teach,” he moaned. Despite her wetness, Byleth was inexplicably tight, and he realized it was her first time to be penetrated. She groaned from the slight pain, but she did not push him away; he noted how she closed her eyes to accept and adjust to his long, calloused digits. 

“I’ll do you so good Teach, trust me,” Claude whispered, invigorated by his task. It was a three-prong attack: mouth hot on her neck with occasional small bites, right hand fondling her breasts and pinching her nipples, and finally the other working her tight wet cunt, increasing the speed of his thrusts. 

Byleth shook from how Claude pumped into her core relentlessly. He would occasionally scissor his fingers inside, which made her moan deeply. His fingers were expertly hitting her in all the right places, whether inside her walls or by her throbbing labia. She soon felt her body tremble; she didn’t know what it was but her core was extremely hot and clenching on his fingers. “W-what’s happening… to me…?” she managed to ask, with a high-pitched voice she didn’t know she had. 

“You’re close… Come on, let me give you your best, first orgasm,” Claude answered. He sped up his thrusts and sucked on her neck harder. When she bucked her hips as a final tell of her impending release, Claude thumbed her clit vigorously. 

“Cum for me, Byleth.” 

And thus the professor released with a shout, a full wave of hot white liquid pouring out of her and dripping into the stream. Byleth grasped Claude’s strong arms as her body shook uncontrollably, and the king held her firmly as she rode out her first-ever climax. 

With a final jerk, Byleth came down from her high, panting heavily. Claude pulled out his fingers, and Byleth felt even more of her newfound liquids gushing out of her. Although she wanted to speak, her mind couldn’t process anything, and she felt extremely spent. Claude caught her as she fell forward, the professor passing out from their intense tryst. He carried her in his arms and brought her to the shore, placing her down against a soft cloth as he wiped down her wet body. 

The king changed her back into her clothes after he did his own. He sat down by her resting body and he whisked some strands away from her face, tucking them behind her ear. Claude gazed at her beautiful, moonlit face and felt his heart flutter. 

“I’m going to make you mine, Byleth,” he whispered into the wind. “Just mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes I really can't choose between Dimileth or Claudeleth, since the latter is such a sexy, passionate pairing... *drool*
> 
> Thus, here's my little tribute to their romance, wherein I promise there will be hard smut soon! I intend for these two to have many kinds of "firsts"... at least for Byleth the sex noob. Stay tuned as we build up the ever horny Almyran King and his sexually curious minx--professor Byleth.
> 
> Would definitely appreciate if you could leave a comment for feedback, or even suggestions on what smut you want to see next! Also, I just started my twitter! http://twitter.com/smoothpeachbutt see u there?


	2. First Taste

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night of celebration ignites some new discoveries behind closed doors.

Claude stroked his exposed member and groaned deeply.

The professor lay down her heavy breasts on his chest, sliding herself up and down on the wyvern master, ensuring their nipples would touch and send themselves tiny shocks of pleasure. She licked his neck, starting from his clavicle, and working her way up just right under his left ear, where his signature hoop earring dangled. She placed a soft kiss on that pierced earlobe as Claude mewled from the touch of one of his weak spots. Satisfied with the reaction, she sucked on the same spot, capturing both ear and earring, and tugged at it ever so lightly. It elicited a deep, guttural moan from the king, as his long, curved cock started to twitch with pre-cum. 

Byleth travelled down to his erect shaft and immediately lapped up his liquids, not wanting any to go to waste. Claude shivered from her tongue’s quick movements, which swirled around his tip before licking from his balls and up to his slit. She took his whole length in her mouth, bobbing up and down and occasionally releasing it with a pop. Her eyes were trained on his face, never breaking eye contact as she lovingly played with his shaft. Byleth then winked at him before dropping her mouth to take the full seven inches all the way back to her throat. Claude thrust and fucked her mouth, and soon felt the familiar thrill of his climax. 

Excruciatingly he released a jet stream of his own liquid that spread across his abdomen. He swore under his breath from the intensity of his vivid imaginations.

Yes, all of this wasn’t real—Claude had to remind himself—, at least not _yet_. Ever since their little escapade at the stream, Byleth avoided Claude like the plague. They did not talk, nor have the chance to see each other much. Claude had to settle with forced dreams and hallucinations, oftentimes in the middle of the day, just like now. Usually triggered from observing the beautiful professor in her element—whether training with her students or just fishing alone by a pond—, Claude had to tend to his _personal needs_ as recompense for the lack of interaction between them. 

Why did she have to be so cold? When she had woken up from their tryst, she kept quiet, avoided eye contact, and only nodded when they left on his wyvern to return to camp. Since then, Claude felt the extreme disassociation and thus decided to distance himself from her lest he get reported for indecency. 

Then again, it had only been three days… _but three days too long_ , Claude wondered, sighing heavily as he sat up from his bed. He tried to rack his brain for scenarios just as how he was trained to think, but this time was stumped. The only thing he could zero on was the possibility that Byleth, the love of his life, despite writhing in pleasure under his hand, simply loathed him and didn’t want anything further to do with him. 

If so, then his second chance had been blown.

In frustration, Claude groaned angrily and grasped at his hair. Immediately he realized that he had used his soaked hand, the same that had carried him to ecstasy just moments earlier, which left all of his slick in his hair. Claude laughed at himself, both amused and ashamed at such an unbecoming mistake for the King of Almyra. He stood up and headed for his in-room shower to clean himself from his embarrassing state. It was time to prepare for the evening’s festivities, and if he had to watch the professor again from afar, unable to touch or even gaze directly into her beautiful eyes, then gods be damned—he was going to get drunk tonight. 

\----------------------------------

The Order of Heroes had successfully retaken a fort from the Emblan Army, and the townspeople wanted to display their gratitude by showering them with a feast. But their definition of feast was by no means just a stiff banquet dinner, rather a full-on celebration with free-flowing food, drink, song, and merry-making. The reception hall had been elaborately decorated with flowers, floating candles, streamers and bright-colored cloths. A bard and his band were performing the loudest, liveliest music that drew both warriors and commonfolk together in dance and hysterics. 

Claude strolled in with a bottle of port in hand, his second already for the night. He had expected the grandness of the celebration, which was already in full swing with even the serious Prince Alphonse raising a glass to the band. What he did not expect, however, was Byleth dancing together with the rest of the group. 

Although she was all the way on the other end of the hall, Claude was like a bloodhound that could trail her from miles away, and she was the only thing his half-sober mind could concentrate on. He usually loved feasts, as either the host or the life of the party. But tonight, despite the possibility of being completely ignored, Claude made it his mission to get closer. 

Claude made his way through the crowd, ignoring greetings from the other heroes who wanted to chat or dance. He just wanted to close the gap between him and his target. As he got nearer, Claude noticed more details about her, which he realized were objects of others’ eyeballing as well. 

She was void of armor, dressed down in a simple black tunic dress that was a tad short. Her silky blue hair was tied up in a ponytail, exposing the smooth skin around her neck, an area that Claude had lovingly explored a few days back. He reveled in her mesmerizing presence, swaying to the beats of the music, head rolled back in euphoria. Claude was honestly a bit surprised she was this loose. He confirmed his suspicions when he noticed her temples flushed red, and when she downed a goblet eagerly in one go. 

_Goddess, she’s beautiful_ , Claude thought to himself as he took a sip from his bottle. She was captivating, a mystery… and inebriated. He was just a couple meters away from her now, and Claude licked his lips at his increasing chances of being able to finally touch her… to feel her suppleness, her warmth…

“Heya leader man!” A lively, pigtailed woman stood in front of him, stopping his tracks. Claude blinked awake from his daze, and focused on the younger Hilda Goneril, who was smiling at him naughtily. 

“So this is how Claude will look like when he grows up…” she said, giving him a quick up and down. She stepped closer to the tall king and looked up with puppy dog eyes. “Say, your majesty… are we still friends in the future? Or did I become your wife? Ooooh I wonder what my brother would say…”

Claude laughed her off nervously and tried to pry her away from his front. “Good friends, yes. Executioner of my schemes, even more so. But unfortunately—no, you married someone else.”

Hilda exaggerated a gasp, clearly tipsy herself. “Oh my goddddddd, who is it????” she trilled. “You _have_ to tell me, leader man! Oh my god, is he here tonight???”

Claude would have usually enjoyed Hilda’s company but he had already been steered off-course for far too long. He winked at Hilda and went off, luckily unfollowed as she was whisked away by a courting warrior. 

He headed for the group Byleth was previously with but she had disappeared entirely. He craned his neck to search above the crowd, to see if he could spot the top of her blue hair from afar. But soon the band picked up a fast-paced tune, and Claude was being tugged on by the company to dance and party with them. He tried to respectfully decline, but more and more goaded him to dance, enamored with the presence of the popular Almyran King. He couldn’t escape, and thus decided to play along for a song. But one song turned to two, then three, and more than he could count as they all got lost in the dizzying haze of merrymaking. 

After what seemed like eternity, the king was finally able to excuse himself, needing to rest from the nonstop whirl and twirl on the dancefloor. He sought a bench at the far end of the room, in a darker corner away from the crowd. As he rested, he watched the people with half-lidded eyes, his failed mission coming to mind. He closed his eyes briefly in contemplation and disappointment, but soon felt a body crashing softly unto his lap, jolting him awake.

As if answering his prayers, Byleth had fallen backwards unto him, and he involuntarily steadied her fall by catching her waist. She smelled strongly of booze, and her ponytail was loose with stray strands sticking to her sweaty neck. She turned around to see who she had fallen unto and stared at his face with a blank expression. 

“Heya Teach,” Claude greeted with a smile. “Looks like you had a lot of fun out there.”

Byleth blinked a couple of times before her mind registered who it was. She jumped off him immediately, but as she was still a bit unsteady from her intoxication, Claude helped her to sit beside him. Her face was painted a deep crimson, although Claude wasn’t sure if it was due to her embarrassment or was just downright drunk. He felt that she wanted to get away from him, but the booze had probably anchored down her body to the bench. They sat beside each other in awkward silence, despite the ongoing music and lively cheers. 

However, Claude, not one for the quiet, sipped from his bottle before he made his first move.

“Teach—”  
“Claude—”

The two looked at each other in surprise of their simultaneous voices. They looked away in embarrassment but started again.

“I’m sorr—“  
“I’m sorr—“

They paused once more at saying the exact same thing, interrupting each other’s speech. Claude was getting restless given the impending doom of the professor’s potential rejection; he knew he had to cut it off at the head if there was any way to salvage what was left of their newfound relationship. He took a few seconds to formulate his apologies. 

“I’m sorry for doing that to you, By...”  
“I want to continue that night.”

Claude’s heart stopped and he blinked at her, confused. “W-what? Say that again?”

Byleth gripped the edge of the bench as she looked down awkwardly. “I’m sorry I avoided you... It’s just… I didn’t know how to approach you… to ask if we could do it again...”

“Byleth, you mean—“

“I passed out last time, and I’m sorry for not being good enough for you...” she started, extremely flushed with the words coming out of her mouth. “I promise, I’ll never do that again...”

Claude was still blinking in disbelief. “Wow Teach, here I was thinking you hated me for doing what we did.” He ran his hands through his hair and whistled to calm down his nerves before he could settle the professor’s own misunderstandings. “Teach, you have nothing to worry about. You were so perfect and that was totally natural… Aww shucks now look what you’ve done to me just talking about this.”

He was pertaining to his core tenting the fabric of his pants. He was already half-hard just reminiscing their experience... coupled with her new confessions. Byleth turned to look and bit her lip. Unthinkable perhaps for a sober person, she slowly reached for his center, curious and drunk enough to touch.

Claude mewled at the unexpected finger that was poking on the thin fabric of his trousers. She had touched the very tip, which responded by twitching slightly. Byleth’s eyes lit up. “Is this... what was behind me the other night...?”

The man nodded and held his breath as Byleth proceeded to gently place her whole hand on the bulge. “H-how big is it...?” she asked, ever so curiously.

Claude couldn’t believe this was happening. He noted that she was slurring and looked with glassy eyes, which he found to be a totally new side of Byleth that he had never experienced before. Her meek yet extremely curious demeanor was a special turn-on for him. His mind couldn’t even rationalize if she was just saying these things truthfully or because she was intoxicated. Seeing as how his second chance with Byleth seemed to be renewed, he drummed up the courage to shoot his shot. 

He looked up at her confidently and changed his tone. “Well, then. If you’re so eager to see it, why don’t we take care of that?”

Claude then grabbed her wrist and pulled her up from the bench. While most were preoccupied on the dancefloor, he led her towards a side door he had discovered earlier, which was a stealthier option of exiting the hall.

They crossed the dimly lit hallways and entered the first unlocked chamber. It was an unused strategy room, unlit and cold. Immediately upon closing the doors, Claude pressed Byleth’s back against the wall and dove down to kiss her neck. He licked and sucked on his favorite spots, savoring the sweetness that he just couldn’t wait to feast on. 

“I’ve been wanting your neck all these nights, Teach… Look, I’m already so hard,” he breathed quietly, grinding his groin against her leg. He reached down under her skirt to feel her sex through her underwear and grinned at her naughtily. “Look at you—already so wet from this?”

Although they would’ve satiated their cravings right then and there, they suddenly heard distant giggles that seemed to be approaching their location. Claude and Byleth stopped to look at each other briefly, before looking around the room for another hideout. 

“Over here!” Claude whispered, motioning Byleth to an empty closet at the back of the room. They entered the space and held their breath just as the persons in question had entered the strategy room, as they had unluckily assumed. The two saw a man and woman through the slits of the closet door, and soon made it out to be a tall, red-haired knight and a blonde lady dressed in blue, sipping from her goblet. They laughed for a few seconds more until the man had his hands all over the woman’s body, kissing her passionately. 

“Oh Sylvain, please get this dress off me.”

“Relax Ingrid,” said the knight as he tried to unlace her bustier. He left kisses on her bosom before fondling her now exposed breasts. “We’ve got all the time we need here.” 

Byleth’s eyes shot wide seeing her two students remove their clothes. She didn’t expect that they were in a relationship, knowing how they would usually bicker in public. And yet here they were hiding out as well, likely intoxicated and in need of each other’s skin. 

Claude hummed softly as he also watched the two. “Ah… finally. I was wondering when those two would get together,” he whispered, just enough for Byleth to hear. He turned to the professor and licked his lips upon seeing Sylvain take Ingrid’s small breasts in his mouth. “Shall we continue watching them? Or do you want me to do the same to you?”

Before Byleth could answer, Claude continued his earlier ministrations, licking and kissing her hot neck. Although it was a tight closet, there was enough room to shift around quietly, such as Claude moving his hands to play with Byleth’s full chest. Byleth almost released an audible, high-pitched gasp when Claude flicked her nipples through the fabric.

“Shhh… the name of the game here, Teach, is to keep quiet, remember?” he challenged with a smirk. He proceeded to unlace her tunic for her sumptuous mounds to pop out, nipples already swollen and pining for him. “Now, enough watching him kiss her tits; It’s time you experience it for yourself.”

Claude wasted no time in sucking her breasts, which was a new experience for the professor. Byleth bit her lips hard to hide her voice, trembling at the feel of Claude’s hot mouth on her. He kneaded the underside of her breasts, like how he worked on them at the stream, but it was the new sensation of his mouth that made Byleth’s breathing heavy. His tongue danced across her nipples, swirling around the protrusion before sucking like a babe. They were so pink and sweet just like the rest of her skin, and Claude couldn’t resist leaving light bites.

Byleth mewled at his mouthwork, but was suddenly reminded of something similarly ‘big and heavy’. She slowly reached down to feel his fully erect shaft through his pants, which twitched in response to her touch. Claude looked up from her chest, intrigued by her boldness. “Yes, Teach? Found something you like down there?”

The professor bit her lip as she did her best to reciprocate his actions. She palmed his length slowly, and Claude answered by grinding into her hands. She tried to measure his size by feeling his whole manhood from base to tip, and it seemed to just get bigger with every press.

Claude nuzzled her neck at the fulfillment of his dream to finally be touched, but he wanted, no—needed more contact. He briefly saw the couple in the room switch position, with Ingrid down on her knees in front of Sylvain’s core. “See those two?” he whispered, motioning for Byleth to peek. “Weren’t you curious how big I am as well?”

He swiftly undid the buckle of his pants to reveal his fully grown cock. Byleth gasped at a sight she had not expected—a long, thick shaft that was curved slightly and twitching at the exposure. It was throbbing and pressing onto her thigh, considering the tight enclosure they were trapped in. 

Claude panted heavily with the freedom of his cock from its tight confines, coupled with the fact that Byleth fixed her gaze on it like a kid at a candy store. He smiled and reached for her wrist slowly. “Well Teach, don’t leave me hanging here.”

Byleth’s small hand reached the underside of his dick, and she almost retreated at how hot and rock-solid it felt. She observed how Claude hissed at the first contact, and she continued to slowly press on the sides, feeling his whole length. She briefly watched through the closet door to see that Ingrid’s mouth was on Sylvain’s member, and she wondered if Claude would react the same way Sylvain seemed to crumble. 

Although the king’s head rolled backwards at her touch, he shot back up when he felt her hot breath on his dick. Byleth had knelt to be on the same level as his manhood, and she kept her extremely curious gaze on it. Before Claude could protest, Byleth stuck out her tongue to lick the crown, which made the king gasp audibly. 

Byleth shushed him and looked through the closet slits to see if the couple had noticed. When they were in the clear, she glared back at Claude. “Shhh… the name of the game here is to keep quiet, remember?” she said, repeating his words back to him.

Claude chuckled briefly before having to cover his mouth at the return of Byleth’s hot tongue. The professor continued exploring his shaft, her tongue only prodding at the sides. Claude observed from her questioning look that she had never seen a man’s penis before, let alone pleasure it. He smiled down at her and drew lines from the base to the tip, as instruction for the curious beginner. 

Byleth followed his direction and licked a long stripe. It made him tremble, and Byleth took that as a good sign. She repeated the action, starting with the base and slowly working her way all seven inches up to the tip. She learned on her own and circled around, then licked along the veiny sides. The more she licked, the more she took in a new taste that she had never encountered before—slightly musky but not unwelcoming. In fact, she wanted to discover more of his flavor, thus she took the initiative to lick the head, which had been leaking bits of white liquid. 

It was an entirely different taste—sweet and quite addicting. She was enthralled at how much more had leaked out of the slit, seemingly unending. She boldly decided to take the entire crown in her mouth, which elicited quiet moans. Byleth perked up at Claude’s reaction, and swirled her tongue at the tip to lap up more of his liquid.

Claude craved for more of her hot mouth. He intertwined his hands in her hair before slowly pulling her head inward. “By, can you take more of me?” he pleaded with glassy eyes. 

Byleth complied, even more curious at the result if she continued. She let herself be guided by Claude’s hands, sucking more of him with each push and pull. However, she gagged when an unexpected thrust made his tip hit the back of her throat. Byleth had to push herself away from his pelvis, where her back hit the side of the closet.

Sylvain and Ingrid heard a light thud, which made the blonde pause her own deepthroating. “W-what was that?” Ingrid stuttered, raising a sleeve of her dress to cover up. The two looked around for the source of the sound, and Sylvain stood from his seat to roam the room. 

Back in the closet, the two looked at each other in fear. Claude pulled the professor up from her position and held her in his arms, quieting and shielding her away from the potential danger. Byleth trembled from their mistake, but the king held her tighter against him, burying her face in his light chest hair. Although they were in danger of being found out, Byleth suddenly relaxed at the tenderness of his warm embrace, despite Claude surveying Sylvain intently. She felt comfortable in his arms, and felt familiar heat rising in her cheeks. In her own way of comforting him, Byleth lightly pecked Claude’s chest before moving down to kiss his nipples. 

Claude looked down at Byleth, surprised by her tender actions. He was tapping her to stop, but she continued, turning his nipples erect with her licks. He looked back through the slits to find Sylvain now approaching the closet. This imminent danger, coupled with the addition of Byleth’s hot core now grinding against the tip of his dick, only made Claude bite down his lips, almost drawing blood. He was nearing a big release, which he was supposed to reach earlier with Byleth’s mouthwork. Sylvain was now just a few steps away from the closet, and Claude’s rational mind was battling with his body’s willingness to risk discovery and ride out his climax. 

He closed his eyes to give in, and as his hard cock pumped hot streams, Ingrid called out for Sylvain from the opposite end of the room. “Oh god, there’s a rat here!” 

Sylvain turned away from his target and walked back to a horrified Ingrid pointing to a corner by the door. The rodent scurried away behind a cupboard, but the blonde continued to hide behind Sylvain. “C-can we get out of here??” she shivered.

Her partner laughed. “Aww, the tough female knight can’t handle little rats,” he teased as he picked her up bridal-style and headed for the door. “Come on, let’s go to my room.”

Claude watched as the two left the room and closed the doors behind them. When their bickering had fully faded away, he released his held breath and opened the closet doors to get some air. 

“Phew, that was just too close!” Claude proclaimed, stepping out to stretch. When he turned back to seek the professor, she had not moved from her position, and instead was clenching her hips tight. Her face was deeply flushed, and Claude followed her line of sight to her pelvis, where her skirt was bunched up to reveal her extremely wet and dripping core. The area was a mess, with her underwear drenched from her own wetness mixed with Claude’s liquids that were trickling down her inner thighs. Claude grew hot at the sight, a reminder of his orgasm just moments earlier, and how Byleth had teased him to completion despite the danger. He pulled the squirming professor out of the closet and licked his lips eagerly. 

“As for you, my little devil, you deserve to be punished for that stunt.”

Claude positioned her to sit by the edge of a table and forcefully pulled her panties down to her ankles. The professor squeaked as he spread her legs open, exposing her glistening folds to the noble in full.

“Goddess, By… you’re glowing for me,” Claude said under his breath, reveling in a sight he had not seen for quite some time. Aside from her perkier breasts, this Byleth had a softer and smoother body, perfectly curved, supple, and wanting. He also realized it was her first time to reveal her most private parts, but he knew her trembles were in anticipation rather than fear. Her wet, virgin core was emitting strong pheromones of need and arousal, and all the king could do was oblige.

Claude dove right into her sex, licking her labia to taste. Both groaned at the contact, Byleth more with her third new experience tonight. He made her see stars with the way he cycled between kisses and licks on her outer lips, lapping her wetness. He was finally able to taste her, and he discovered that she tasted different. Perhaps it was because she had not been touched, but her juices were sweeter and more pungent. He soon parted her lips to dart into her hole, eager to drink more of her nectar. An idle hand reached for her clit to pinch, which drove Byleth to grasp the back of his head, pushing his mouth further into her sex. 

Claude loved the pressure on his head, which encouraged him to move from her hole to her clit instead. He flicked his tongue across it, making Byleth tremble vigorously, then proceeded to suck it out of its hood. Once it fully popped out swollen, he slowed down his mouth, but compensated with thrusting two fingers into her.

Byleth was still very tight, but her walls were more eager to accept him this time around. The room reverberated with a mix of sloppy sounds from his mouth sucking on her pussy, and his fingers thrusting against her wet insides. Claude then repeated his scissoring technique, making Byleth moan out loud.

“C-claude!!!” she whimpered, her face twisting with pleasure. 

The king looked up at the mention of his name, delighted to hear her voice. “You’ve become quite expressive, haven’t you?” Claude responded with a smirk, and immediately went back to finish his meal. He felt the familiar hip-clenching of Byleth’s impending climax, and he sped up his thrusts with his digits. 

The cherry on top was a light bite on her throbbing clit, and Byleth screamed as she gushed with a huge release. Claude held down her hips as she shook wildly, but was unsuccessful at securing all her cum into his mouth when she spilled all over his face. Claude did not shy away from her liquids, but was pleasantly surprised when she squirted at the last second, something he had never experienced with the Byleth back home. Once she was done, he licked off as much as he could from the corners of his lips, but simply chuckled at the sheer amount splattered all over his face. 

“Wow, Teach. I have to admit—I totally didn’t expect that _feast_ from you”, he teased while assessing the rest of his drenched shirt, and the cum that had spilled down to his exposed cock. Beaming like a bright-eyed kid, Claude looked back up at Byleth, who greeted him with a devastated look on the brink of tears. 

Before he could say anything, Byleth pulled her dress up to cover her breasts and turned to run for the door. Claude tried to stand up to catch her, but instead fell forward with the obstruction of his pants by his ankles. By the time he got his bearings, the doors had slammed shut and the professor had gotten away. 

His manhood exposed and face in a mess, Claude clicked his tongue and swore under his breath. Yes, she had kept her promise not to fall asleep, but instead disappeared into the wind without a word, rendering Claude another defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes... Byleth is v v v v thirsty and is a little minx.  
> I've always wanted them in a closet, although sorry if you were waiting to see some actual intercourse... I'm saving it for the next one, I promise!!!


	3. First Time - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude realizes he's fallen for Byleth, literally and figuratively.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update, but before I knew it, I was writing two chapters long for this section! This part has a bit more pining and a little story, but I think the end will leave you wanting for more...

A whole week had passed since Claude and Byleth’s closet experience, and similarly the two had no interaction whatsoever. The Order of Heroes had also embarked on a long journey to cross into Embla’s border, and Claude’s party was stationed at the front of the line, making it difficult to seek the professor out. 

Normally the Almyran King would have been more persistent to catch Byleth, but he couldn’t seem to rise to the occasion. Not even thinking to slip a note under the flap of her tent, Claude felt downright anxious that he would worsen the situation if he as so much stepped an inch closer to her. The tension was killing him, and yet he felt powerless. 

“What kind of a king am I, Nagini?” he asked his wyvern partner as they soared through the clouds. Claude had broken away from the flier party and dragged a few meters back, so that he could situate himself somewhere above Byleth’s team down below. “I can’t even go and say hi. How pathetic is that?” 

He observed the way her wild hair flew when the wind coursed through the trees, or how she would gently pat her cheeks with the back of her small hands to wipe away sweat. He focused his gaze on her face as she candidly chatted with her students, watching her light up when she smiled, ultimately wishing that she smiled for him instead. 

The King slumped against his wyvern’s back and moaned in agony. He was increasingly frustrated at the fact that this was his only opportunity to watch her, all the way up in the clouds. He couldn’t think straight, was losing energy and drive, and felt like his purpose of being in this foreign land had simmered down to nothing. Nagini snorted in response to his distress, and Claude nodded in agreement. “I know, old girl. I’m not just smitten with her. I think I’m in lo—”

“Master Claude! We’re stopping to meet with the others!” shouted a nearby wyvern rider, interrupting his daydreaming. Claude sat up swiftly and saw that the soldier was pointing downwards where the lead faction of the party had come to a halt. Claude wondered why they were stopping so early, but followed suit and motioned for Nagini to dive at a clearing. 

As soon as they landed, foot soldiers arrived to usher Claude to a tent, already pitched and bustling with activity within. He entered through the flaps as instructed, and saw a small group all huddled together. 

“Ah Claude, you’re here! Please join us,” beckoned Commander Anna, waving at him to join her side. Upon nearing the table strewn with maps and flag markers, Claude briefly froze at the sight of the blue-eyed professor, who was standing on the opposite end of the table. She averted her gaze at his arrival, and although Claude had an itch to wave, his throat clamped down and produced no sound.

“Alright, now that we’re complete, let’s discuss the plan,” Commander Anna proceeded. “The advance party we sent was captured by the Emblans. They’re being held at a nearby fort, and we have to capture that base to both save our comrades and secure the fort as a strategic entry point for our future reinforcements.” 

The red-haired leader reached for a blue marker. “This team—you guys—will be led by Professor Byleth,” Anna said as she pointed to each of the heroes around the table, most being Garreg Mach students, including his younger self who was beaming proudly beside the professor. 

“In the next hour, your team’s mission is to sneak in from the left where our scouts have observed their defenses to be low, and will ideally be less guarded when they refocus their efforts on Prince Alphonse’s main charge from the front. He will be distracting the enemy, and your go-signal will be fire arrows shot from his location. The ground troops—Sylvain, Claude, Dimitri, and Byleth—, you guys will advance first to take out their ground archers, before our fliers, led by older Claude and Petra, will be able to swoop in to secure the tower, where the dungeons are. Once you’re in, we’ll be able to surround the enemy…” 

“…with a pincer attack. Nice touch, Commander”, said the younger Claude, throwing a thumbs up for approval. The teen then roped an arm around his professor. “As long as we’ve got Teach here with us, this’ll be an easy win.” 

The older Almyran scoffed quietly at the smug actions of the young archer. Was he always this cocky? He couldn’t concentrate on much of the instructions as his eyes darkened watching the young lords all engage with the professor.

Commander Anna grunted and crossed her arms. “Thanks for your confidence Claude, but remember that it’s critical you wait for the signal, or else your small group may be overwhelmed. There’ll still be a hoard of them, and we cannot afford any casualties.”

With resounding affirmation across the table, the commander bid them farewell to prepare. Although Claude thought he had a chance to talk with Byleth after the briefing, she was the first to dart out of the tent, calling on her students to follow. Claude heard her give orders left and right, even to Petra who was supposedly his partner in leading the fliers. He was about to join the huddle, but they had dispersed immediately, setting out to prepare and suit up. The king heaved a sigh by the tent entrance, leaning on the support post in defeat as he watched Byleth run into the distance. A firm hand gripped his shoulder, and he looked to his side at the red-haired commander.

“You two will get through it, don’t worry,” she spoke softly. Claude blinked in confusion but started to feel at ease with the presence of a supportive friend. She smiled back and winked at him. “Just make sure you watch her back.”

\-------------------------------------------------------

Anna’s personal instructions were difficult to execute, especially with an evasive Byleth and her overeager students. 

The ground troops of Byleth’s small battalion were initially well-placed in the forest. From their position in the trees a few meters away, they had a clear view of the enemy patrolling. Soon they heard the fight break from the front, as planned earlier with Prince Alphonse’ diversion. However, Byleth grew anxious at the sight of the fort’s left patrol unmoved despite the commotion that was supposedly attacking their front defense. She wondered why they had not reallocated their troops to assist, and speculated that the Prince’s attack may have been unsuccessful. 

Instead of waiting for the right signal, Byleth took the initiative. “The signal’s not coming. We have to advance now,” she whispered to the troops closest to her. “Their numbers aren’t that big here; we can take them on.”

In just a matter of seconds, Byleth led the charge towards the fort, alerting the enemy platoon. Claude and the fliers were situated farther back, and he was startled from her sudden advance, which defied their original strategy. While wondering the direction change, his partner and the rest of the fliers started rising upwards. 

“We need to go straight to the tower,” Petra called out matter-of-factly, as if she already knew the plan. “Professor earlier instructing me to fly there immediately. We must be sticking to the mission.”

Before Claude could protest, she and the others had already lifted off. Although their priority was to save their comrades from the towers, Claude set his gaze towards Byleth, who had unwisely charged into battle. The King clicked his tongue and made for her direction instead with his white wyvern. 

True enough, Byleth’s team had underestimated the enemy line and were starting to get overwhelmed. Byleth had advanced way up to the front, but she was surrounded by soldiers whom she attacked with much difficulty. Madly rushing to save her, Claude’s adrenaline shot through, with Commander Anna’s instructions to watch her back ringing repeatedly in his head. He only zoned in on Byleth, flying straight through enemy lines to reach her location. He called out her name as he neared, landing a perfect shot with his bow at the soldier approaching behind her. Byleth turned to the skies to find her savior, looking hopeful with a small grin. 

Claude’s second of relief was immediately interrupted by a large zinger that zoomed right through his arm, and he yelped from the slice on his bicep. However, before he could retaliate, he was met with a gigantic stone being hurled at his direction. Nagini immediately swerved out of the way, but the force and speed of her avoidance had accidentally thrown Claude off his saddle, sending him flying in the air and down to the trees. He tried to grasp at branches as he tunneled faster and faster downwards, all the while hearing a distant Byleth scream his name in fright. 

_So much for being a hero_ , Claude thought to himself before hitting the ground and seeing black. 

\-------------------------------------------------------

A throbbing and persistent pain on his left side slowly brought back the Almyran King’s consciousness. He blinked his eyes open, pupils adjusting to the light despite the dim setting of the candles around the room. Claude groaned from the grogginess; however, he felt a presence nearing him, likely noticing he had risen. In those split seconds, Claude tried to awaken his mind to remember the series of events that led him to his disoriented state: he was zooming past soldiers, shooting defense arrows, hurled off his wyvern…and had fallen. _Fort. Enemy. Shot Down. Captured?_

From muscle memory and practiced effort, Claude jolted upwards from the bed and reached for the calf holster that contained his hidden blade. Instead of reacting to its absence, he winced from a sudden sting on his arm, which prompted the nearby figure to run towards his bedside.

“Claude, take it easy.”

Dark blue hair was the first stimulus that eased his adrenaline. Small pale hands were on his bandaged arm, emitting a low white light that warmed and soothed the bleeding. Finally, he was greeted with wide blue eyes and a faint smile. 

“There. I don’t think the healers closed your arm well. I hope that works.”

Byleth blinked at him briefly, then cocked her head to the side upon his prolonged silenced. “Claude? Are you okay? Does your head still hurt?” She reached for the bandages on his forehead, which he didn’t even realize was bound. He raised his hand to feel his temples, and when their fingers met, both flinched and withdrew their hands at the contact.

“W-where are we? What happened to the Embla soldiers?” Claude gulped after a second, scanning the room. It was a simple, 4-corner box with granite walls and a single window. It was plainly unwelcoming, save for some candles atop a desk, a brown rug, and the small bed he and the professor were on. He spotted her sword and his bow leaning against the wall, and a chair where she must have been sitting to keep watch, considering her cloak draped over it. Despite the basic appearance, it was a still a cozy situation, and seeing as neither of them were in cuffs, Claude started to relax. 

“We’re in the fort. We were able to capture it after some time,” Byleth responded, keeping her hands on her lap. “You were pierced with an arrow to your arm, and you fell when the enemy brought out a catapult.”

Claude clicked his tongue as he recounted the events. “What happened to Nagini? Is the old girl alright?”

“Your wyvern’s fine but took some light arrows to her hide. She’s being tended to.”

Claude sighed heavily, fully aware of his recklessness that hurt both himself and his albino partner. He tried to turn around the mood with a light joke. “Nagini’s going to hate me again for putting her in a situation like that. Hoo-boy, looks like I’ll have to win her heart back, haha!”

Byleth kept quiet and just looked down at her hands, her hair shielding her face. When she didn’t respond, Claude bit his lip and tried reaching for her shoulder, and found her trembling. She turned to him quickly with weary eyes. 

“I’m so sorry Claude. It was my fault entirely”, she started with a pleading tone. “Now you’re hurt because of me. You could have died from your fall. I was reckless and didn’t pay any attention to you, despite us being a team and me being your leader.”

Claude gazed at her dejected face and softly placed his hands on either of her arms. “You don’t need to apologize, my friend. I also rushed into enemy lines quite foolishly. Ha! What kind of a king does that?” He tried to soothe and joke at the same time, somewhat helping ease Byleth’s tension. “Things like this always happen. Okay maybe not falling off my wyvern—that’s a bit embarrassing. And I guess some kind trees cushioned my fall, huh?” Claude scratched his head embarrassed at his blunder, and she returned with a weak smile that the King took as a chance to open a dialogue. 

“Teach, can I now ask why you were avoiding me?” he inquired slowly. “Was it because of that night? You ran away… Did you not like what we did?”

Byleth shifted away from his gentle hold. Claude worried for the worst, but the silence was killing him. “Please, Byleth. Tell me. Did I do something wrong? Did I hurt you?” 

“No, of course not! You didn’t hurt me at all. But I…” Byleth paused, still looking down in embarrassment. Claude stopped breathing in anticipation of what she would say next, though already prepared for the impending rejection.

Byleth bit her lip and flushed heavily. “I-I… dirtied myself… on your face…” she finally spoke, watching Claude’s blank expression. She felt further embarrassed and buried her face in her hands. 

“I’m so sorry, Claude. I couldn’t control myself and I don’t know why all of those flowed out of me. I can’t believe I soiled a king’s face! I’ve never felt so humiliated; I honestly didn’t know if I could face you ever again.” 

As Byleth blurted out her worries completely red-faced, Claude paused in disbelief. Despite his brilliant mind and moniker of being the ‘Golden Schemer’, he still hadn’t learned from his previous mistake of not realizing Byleth’s sexual ineptitude. He laughed boisterously, more at himself than at her or the situation.

“Teach… you thought I’d hate you?” He gazed into her eyes with a beaming smile. “I’ve dreamed of you coming undone for me like that. In fact, I wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.”

Byleth’s voice hitched as she gasped, not expecting his answer at all. She searched his face to see if he was playing a prank, but he caressed her cheek which made her melt in his warm hands, realizing he was speaking the truth.

“Well, I gotta say… that squirting was something you never did back home.” Claude chuckled, flashing her a toothy grin, then later realizing that he had admitted his perversity. He noted how Byleth blinked at him in confusion, and he wondered if he maybe revealed too much. 

“What do you mean ‘back home’? You mentioned something similar a couple of times before… when we did those things. This is… not your first time with me?”

 _Oh. Not about the squirting_ , the King thought to himself, relieved, then immediately shifting to prepare himself for the inevitable. It was time to confess.

“As you may already know, there’s a different you back in my world. I... was in love with her... correction: I _still_ am,” Claude said, hanging his head low and reminiscing his previous relationship, or lack thereof. He then looked at the professor, gazing into her beautiful doe eyes. 

“I know that look— ‘what happened’, right? Unfortunately, we...didn’t work out, Teach. I thought we had something going on, deeper than a friendship or student-teacher relationship, but you had made your decision, whereas I never stopped loving you.”

Byleth gulped at his confession, heat building up in her cheeks. The King raised a hand to her face, softly caressing her skin with his calloused fingers, and observed her features dreamily. 

“When I saw you here, I knew you weren’t the same person. But Goddess, seeing you, the strong and beautiful professor that I had fallen in love with all those years ago...my heart sang. And I thought— what if? If I could show you my love sooner, could we—no... _I_ have another chance?”

Claude withdrew his hand, biting his lip at the realization that he was technically outpouring his desires to a stranger that he had just met a few weeks ago. Would she even care? 

“I made a wrong move, Teach. I took a risk and forced myself on you. And now I’ve pressured you with my soppy excuse. I apologize and I’d understand if we should go our separate ways from here.”

Claude looked down at his hands, feeling defeat. Seconds of silence turned into minutes, and the King was sure she’d soon get up and walk out the door at a confession she had no part or obligation to indulge in. Yet this Byleth had been surprising him at every turn, and she was not one to disappoint.

“I’m not pressured, Claude,” she spoke softly but with conviction. The King raised his bandaged head, watching her move closer to him. She placed her small hands atop his and met his jade-green gaze.

“You make me feel... _different_ —something I’ve never felt before. So, I don’t want us to part ways.”

“Teach... do you mean...?”

“I know I’m not the same Byleth, but if you want... I can try to be that one for you.”

With those words, Claude was left with no choice but to press his lips against hers. Hearing her felt like an impossibility, but he wanted to confirm and solidify this moment with a hot touch. And with skin against skin, her soft lips gently pressed on his own, his dreams had finally turned to reality.

Byleth was shocked at his swiftness, but her shoulders soon relaxed as she leaned into the kiss. It was a quick one, and when they pulled away, they did ever so slowly, as if they _didn’t_ want to take in air and continue breathing. The professor pursed her lips and hummed; what she said next only spurned Claude further. 

“I’ve never kissed anyone before,” she said softly, with a blank face yet cheeks flushed pink. “That was nice.”

It was stated matter-of-factly, but Claude was used to her bluntness and knew what she was really feeling. Claude dove in for another kiss, this time more passionately with his hands caressing her face. He angled his mouth slightly to introduce his tongue against her lips, and she learned quickly when her mouth invited him in. Their hot, needy tongues finally touched, and they both groaned into their kiss. 

Byleth closed her eyes, absorbing the energy that made her both limp and invigorated all at once. She melted in his mouth and from his touch, bewildered at how much pleasure a kiss could make her feel. The Almyran, on the other hand, felt like he was back to being a schoolboy all those years ago, when he first kissed his professor and poured out all his affection with his young, untrained mouth. He pushed that memory to the back of his head, since the Byleth here and now was his only focus, their kiss electrifying his senses and renewing his want and need. 

It was time to make new memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Claude is a lot smarter and wiser than this, but I enjoyed writing him as a dork with a hot crush. :)  
> There's also a reason why he's a lot more anxious about Byleth, which I plan to reveal in later chapters (poor bb).
> 
> For now, let the s m u t commence ! ! !


	4. First Time-- Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Direct continuation from the previous chapter... and probably what you've all been waiting for :) Enjoy!

Claude gently grasped the back of her head, pulling her in closer to satiate his hunger. He didn’t want to leave her mouth just yet, but the sight of the smooth skin along her neck was equally enticing. He had no choice but to pry his mouth away from her. She whimpered slightly at the loss, which immediately turned into a gasp when Claude started licking her neck. 

Byleth shivered with each long stride of his tongue that devoured her jugular. The King loved nuzzling her neck, which was the best way to get his more primal desires activated. The way she keened and pressed closer to him, her chest rubbing against his, their lower regions starting to make friction, made Claude want to mark her neck. He held onto his better judgment and reserved his greediness. 

Instead, the professor’s innate curiosity reciprocated his hesitation. She wanted to feel more of him fast, and thus she reached down to palm his length through his pants. Claude groaned into her neck as she stroked, bringing his member to life in her warm hand. Claude cupped her face in his hands, meeting her half-lidded eyes with his own heavy gaze. 

“By… Are you sure about this?” he asked with concern, although heavy with need himself. She neither nodded nor shook her head, and just proceeded to unbuckle his pants. His member sprung out from its confines, already fully erect. 

Byleth’s eyes grew wide at the size of his dick, now that she was able to see it in full view, and not when cramped in a dark closet. She had never seen anything like it before, as the mercenaries she used to travel with all had smaller ones whenever they would boast about their size. She thought that was the standard of men, and she didn’t feel any urge or rise in her sex drive when she saw the mercenaries' "packages". 

But seeing Claude’s huge manhood, glowing and majestic in the candlelight, made her… _desire_ it. She ran her fingers along his length, feeling the warm, silky skin of his cock. She followed the veins from the base up to the crown, which was slightly wet. She watched his face as he gripped his length and pumped, his breath rising and falling with her every move. 

“Wow Teach, you could stay like that forever…” Claude mumbled.

“You don’t want my mouth?” Byleth asked bluntly, causing the noble to gulp in embarrassment. 

What was he supposed to answer to that? Of course he wanted—no, _needed_ her hot mouth back on him. It was all he had been dreaming about, yet he didn’t want to rush her. “No… I mean, yes, but…”

Byleth pressed a light kiss on his lips to quiet him then moved down to meet his tip. “Let me take care of you, Claude.” 

Without hesitation, she licked his crown and Claude shuddered. She remembered how he taught her to lick from the base, and she practiced her lesson with much fervor. This time she kept one hand on his shaft, while her other searched for his balls. She observed how he trembled when she caressed his sack, and she experimented by lightly tugging while swirling her tongue around his cock. The King groaned deeply, and soon his tip was leaking with hot pre-cum that dripped on Byleth’s nose. She wiped it off with a finger and sucked on the same, tasting his liquid that she was gladly getting used to. She then went right for the source and rounded her lips at the head, sucking on the slit. 

Claude bucked his hips forward at the sensation, which moved his cock a bit deeper into her mouth. Byleth closed her eyes as she prepared to sink down on his rock-hard cock. She let her tongue drag along the length as she slowly moved up and down, still only halfway his full length. In slight frustration, her teeth grazed the underside, causing Claude to clench and hiss.

“Nghhh, Teach… do you know what you just did to me?” he said in between pants. Claude then grabbed the back of her head to guide her downward, finding an angle where she could take more of his cock. He introduced his own short thrusts, dick throbbing in search of the back of her throat. “I need you to take more of me, By…”

Byleth steeled herself for his thrusts. If it were anything like the last time, she had to prepare for when he would be in so deep that she might convulse. He fisted her blue hair while he thrust upward, gaining speed and power. Byleth felt the familiar gag, but she also sensed his dick grow bigger and hotter. When his grip tightened, Claude let out a moan akin to a sob as he released his seed in her mouth. The professor’s eyes widened as she felt his semen pour into her throat—a hot, sweet liquid that filled her to the brim and leaked out of the sides of her mouth. Byleth was overwhelmed from both the new experience and the insane amount of cum, that she somewhat panicked and pushed herself away from his pelvis. 

“T-teach, wait…! Not done!” Claude groaned trying to stop her, but it was too late when his cock involuntarily shot jet streams of cum on her chest, with stray ones on her face. The other excess of his semen flowed out of her gaping mouth, too much that she couldn’t take on by herself. The professor was clueless on what to do with the cum in her mouth, so instead of making a further mess, she swallowed his hot seed, downing it in one gulp. 

Claude was speechless at the dirty sight—at how he had showered his favorite professor with his hot and sticky personal fluids, and that they were now technically down her throat. She, too, was bereft of speech as she checked the mess on her top and wiped the cum off her cheeks. To Claude’s surprise and amusement, all she did was giggle after accepting her state. “Hmm, I guess we’re even now,” she said with a smile. 

Claude completely lost it. He had never seen this painfully _adorable_ side of Byleth in all the years he had known her… or rather the other version of her back home. She was right: she _wasn’t_ the same Byleth… and yet she might even be a better one. He _had_ to have her now, not just for a kiss, or for their chests to press against each other. His heart yearned to make her _his own._

The King grabbed her arms and went straight for her neck, licking her weak spots that made her mewl once more. He tried to clean himself off her face, then realized too much of it was on her shirt. Frustrated at the barriers, he lifted both her top and bra for her, then proceeded to undress himself too. He laid Byleth down on the bed, and she shrieked softly as he slid her shorts off her thin legs. She was left with her underwear and her tights, and in embarrassment she tried to cover her ample chest, albeit unsuccessfully with her small hands. 

Claude chuckled and pulled her wrists away, pinning her hands down to her sides. “Never hide yourself for me, Teach. Your beauty needs to be appreciated.” The professor was still a bit tense, but he could feel her slowly submitting to his strength. “Just relax, By. Let me do what I was born to do… _for you._ ”

Flushing a deep crimson, she relaxed as he lowered himself to meet her lips. They only kissed for a minute, as the King departed to work his way to her neck. He lingered there to leave heavy breaths between each lick, and Byleth observed that he was slower here and explored everywhere to devour her skin. She made a mental note to remove her collar when she would walk around the grounds next time. 

After what seemed like eternity of leaving small lovebites, the King moved down to her bosom and palmed her pillowy breasts. They were so huge and heavy in his hands, seemingly softer and more sensitive from before. He pinched her nipples, causing Byleth to moan deeply. He darted his tongue over one, then did the same to the other, before fully gorging on her mounds. He sucked on her erect and swollen nipples, swirling around the areola, and occasionally became more playful with light bite marks so that he could hear her gasp. The King swore he could stay nuzzled in her chest forever, but he soon felt some wetness by his abdomen which he knew had come from her core. He reached a hand down between her legs and chuckled.

“Wet through both panties and tights, Teach?” He raised two of his fingers to let her see the stickiness. “Damn, you’re just making me even hungrier for you.”

He moved further down to face her clothed sex, using his arms to spread her legs wide open. Despite the black color of her tights and underwear, he could see it was already soaking, and the bedspread underneath her was also damp. He tasted her right then and there, licking her center through the fabric. Her scent and taste were so strong, making Claude even more ravenous. He could hear Byleth gasp with licks along her folds, the outline of which was forming through her underwear. 

Claude himself was so curious that he slowly pushed a finger where he knew her hole to be, stretching the fabric inward with his prodding. He saw Byleth grip the bedsheets, her face twisting in both pleasure and the initial pain of the tightness. He curled his finger to test her reaction, and when she moaned his name it gave her away: she wanted more.

Claude retrieved his hand, and she whimpered at the loss briefly. He moved quickly to pull at the waistband of both tights and underwear, shedding them off in a swift motion. Byleth’s pink pussy was just impossibly wet, as if it were slathered in oil and ready just for him to devour. The professor caught him gaping at her core, and she tried to close her legs in embarrassment. 

“Claude… I’ve already wet myself,” she said sheepishly. 

The King shook his head and reached forward to caress her face. “No, By. You should never be ashamed in front of me. You’re exquisite.”

Keeping his dreamy gaze on her, his other hand inserted two fingers into her core, and he watched her writhe under his touch. Byleth was still so tight, as it was technically just her third time to be touched. He had to put in more work if he wanted her to come undone in the way he truly desired. He tried inserting another finger, but she jerked from the slight pain of the stretch. 

Claude withdrew his digits to rub and soothe her throbbing pussy in the interim. However, Byleth was getting needy, and she grinded along his hand to feel more friction. She held unto his neck and breathed his name as her vision turned hazy. 

“Claude, I... Please...”

The King would not deprive his muse of her wishes. He left a peck on her lips then shifted downwards back to her sacred cave. He marveled at how it was even more swollen and wet than ever before. She was literally leaking; her juices were slowly flowing non-stop out of her hole. No wonder she was so needy. She had to have someone clean her up. 

Claude finally licked a long, languid stripe across her folds. Byleth reacted at the first touch of his tongue alone, arching her back at the much-needed contact. Claude devoured her labia, finding every crevice to swirl his tongue in and drink her sweet nectar. Her pussy continued to twitch despite his ministrations, and he knew he had to go in deeper. He spread her pink lips with his fingers, and finally buried his tongue into her hole. She screamed again, and her newfound expressiveness just fed his hunger further. 

“You’re so wet, By. All for me…” 

He thrust his tongue deep, his nose already burrowing in the small patch of hair above her vagina. He closed his eyes to concentrate on fucking her with his mouth, using her moans as his driving force. He would dart his tongue in and out, curling the muscle when inside to explore all of her. When he needed to rest his jaw, he moved up to her clit, which he knew was her true Achilles’ heel. A single swirl around the tiny nub made her clench, and a new stream of juices flowed out of her. Claude used the lubrication to reintroduce his calloused digits, going straight for three which went in much easier. 

Instead of grasping the sheets, Byleth clawed his hair, grabbing a fistful in response to his fingers. It was the same reaction as last week when she also fisted his hair as a sign of her impending climax. Her defenses were down, and she showed her true, needy and insatiable self with every call of his name and grasp of his thick silky hair. Claude’s face was pushed so tightly against her sex; he felt like he couldn’t breathe but he wouldn’t have it any other way. If he was going to die from asphyxiation, the only way was to be smothered in between her legs.

He timed the thrusts of his fingers with a vacuum-like suction on her clit. Although Byleth was threatening to leave him with a bald spot, Claude never dropped his speed and pressure on her wet cunt. It was blissful torture, and he helped support her by intertwining his free hand with one of hers. 

Her toes curled and she shook violently as the sounds of her orgasm echoed around the room. She gushed in waves and Claude made sure to catch her white hot cum in his mouth, all while keeping his eyes on her, watching her crumble only for him. He committed to memory this moment and this view, the erotic sounds she was making, and the divine taste of her peak. 

Byleth only let go of him after she calmed down from her wild shakes. Claude pressed a light kiss on her core, then moved up to meet her real lips instead. He let her taste herself with a hot and passionate kiss, which she returned hungrily. Her hips slowly grinded against his thigh, which soon allowed his half-hard and neglected cock to brush against her core. He moaned at the contact, and after a bit more grinding, he felt his length spring back to life, heavy with need to be within the confines of the professor’s heat.

Claude gazed into her blue orbs, brushed some hair away from her face, and gasped “beautiful” under his breath. “Teach… Byleth…,” he drew out her name for more effect. “I need you… I need to feel you. Please…”

Byleth wasn’t entirely sure what he meant, but it was hard to resist his sweet and pleading tone. His needy gaze matched her own, and he was drooling mad as he searched for approval. With his hard length by her legs, her curiosity and desire allowed him to proceed with a small nod. The King immediately pushed himself to sit up, hovering over her as he spread her legs slowly. 

Byleth watched with bated breath as he licked his fingers and used the same to pump along his length. While he did this, she allowed herself to marvel at his naked physique now that she had a full view of him in the light. His chocolate skin glowed with sweat, giving added definition to his broad chest that was littered with light chest hair, as well as his extremely ripped abdomen that was so enticing to touch. He had a sharp pelvis with a distinct v-shape that intersected at his long and thick member, which was topped with a small patch of dark brown curls. But above all, what made Byleth’s mind race was his handsome features, particularly his striking green eyes that set ablaze with want, and his alluring smile that made her sink into a void she could not resist. It made her wet just seeing this god-like man above her, a noble so intrigued with a commoner, just as she was curious about him.

Claude’s breath was ragged and his heart beat as fast as he pumped his long shaft, getting it as lubricated as possible. He ran a free hand through his hair, primarily to comb back his sweat-slicked locks, but really to massage his head at seeing the impossibility before him. In his heady state, it was difficult to determine fact from fiction. Was she really here? Was this really happening? He knew reality to be that Byleth, the love of his life, had chosen another, and yet… there she was on his bed, naked, pliant and waiting, presented as a second chance to finally call her his own. When he blinked, her hair and eyes had changed to the jade green shade he was more used to, but she was now writhing in denial and hesitation, just as she did the night he was planning to make her his queen. Was his mind just replaying a memory from the past? Or was this the fate he was always destined to have—one without her in his life?

She called out his name with a soft and tender voice, pulling him from his brief trance. “Claude, are you okay? Does your head hurt?” 

He blinked his eyes open to meet the gaze of his blue-haired professor, who was focused on him with much concern. He stroked her thigh gently, and he sighed after confirming he wasn’t just hallucinating. “Sorry, Teach. Got a bit dizzy back there, probably from the concussion.” 

She furrowed her brows with worry. “Maybe you should rest. I can go call for the healer.”

“No! Please no. I… don’t want you to leave.” The last thing Claude wanted was for her to slip away again, whether physically or in his dreams. He held onto her hips, gripping tightly as if to keep her in place. 

His professor smiled back to ease his anxiety. “I’m here Claude,” she said, soft hands reaching for his forearms to reassure him. “I’m with you.”

Her words filled his heart with warmth and he immediately reached down to meet her lips. It was a short one, as Claude wanted to restart his original intent and desire. 

“By, you’re the only one I want. I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I’m ready, if you’ll have me.” He positioned himself in between her legs, placing the tip of his manhood right by her core. 

Byleth trembled at the contact, more in excitement than fear. “Will it hurt?” she gulped, trying to manage expectations. 

Claude smiled and kissed her forehead. “I’ll go slow, but I’ll be with you all the way.” He waited for her to nod before he pressed ever so slowly into her core. 

Byleth’s eyes shot wide open and she gasped so loudly with the pain from her first penetration. He had only pressed in the first third of his length, and the size stretched her so wide that she sat up in surprise, arms wrapped around Claude’s neck for support. Although she had been prepped with his fingers earlier, the girth of his steel-hard cock was so thick that she felt she was going to break. She was grasping his hair and clawing at his back to find some place she could transfer the pain to. 

Claude grit his teeth at her tightness and the way she was clinging to him. He tried his best to push in as slow as possible, and yet they were only halfway through. He looked down to check and saw a bit of blood drip down her inner thigh, and he also heard her whimper with every slight push. He held onto her small body in his arms, as he tried to soothe her with kisses on her neck. 

“Claude… Claude…” she cried, whimpering with every push in.

“Do you want to stop?”

The professor shook her head, but Claude could feel tears drop to his shoulder. He moved to capture her lips with his own, hopefully letting her focus on their passion instead of the stretch. She still groaned as she sunk deeper on his cock, but he knew that she was trying her best for him. 

Instead of prolonging it further, Claude held her hips and pushed her down all the way to the hilt. Both of them moaned at the same time, Byleth more as a scream that probably woke up the rest of the floor. But they hardly cared anymore, because finally they were connected as one. 

“By…” Claude huffed, the first to make a sound between them. “Not gonna lie… but I’ve been dreaming to feel you like this.” Her walls were so warm and tight around his length, as if it were made to fit just his cock alone. It was different with the Byleth back home, even when he also took her virginity when they were younger. Maybe this Byleth was the right one… 

He needed to stop comparing.

Claude started shifting his hips for a thrust, but Byleth yelped and pierced his back with her nails. “C-claude, wait!” she screamed into the skin of his neck. 

“Teach, I’m sorry… are you okay?” the King asked, losing his confidence. “Maybe I should pull out and let you rest.”

“No, you don’t have to…” she replied weakly. She was reeling from the stretch, but she continued to cling to him for support. “Just… wait for me a bit...please.”

Claude complied and just thanked his lucky stars for allowing him to be with Byleth again. He rubbed her lower back and peppered tender kisses on her cheek and jawline, nuzzling in the groove of her neck to soothe and calm her down. It was no doubt a romantic position—Byleth straddling his lap as they embraced and held each other. But as much as the King wanted to wait for her to adjust, his cock was throbbing mad in her cunt, wanting the friction from rubbing against her walls. 

“By… I have to start moving, or you’ll dry up.”

When Byleth didn’t respond, Claude had to initiate the slow pull of his cock halfway out of her, to get some movement going. She still held onto his shoulders with a tight grip, but he could hear her stifle her cries as she braced herself. The Almyran pushed back inside, thankful that there was still some wetness to help him along. He continued his slow ins and outs, and soon found a good rhythm that Byleth didn’t seem to reject. Her voice would still hitch everytime he pushed inward, and she realized he was getting deeper and deeper into her womb. 

Claude’s hunger came back, and he resumed licking her neck, then moved down to her breasts to engulf each mound in his mouth. His thrusts were a little stronger now that Byleth was frowning less and rolling her head back more. He would test a combination of a deeper thrust with a light bite on her nipples, and it made Byleth grasp his hair again, which he craved for. At times she would grab his arm, on the area where he sustained his wound, but he hardly cared if it opened again; he was on cloud nine and he knew she was too. Finally, the woman of his dreams was feeling pleasure instead of pain. 

“Mmh Claude… it feels…” she started, her words cut off with gasps from his tongue expertly swirling around her nipples.

“Delectable? Fantastic? Like euphoria?” 

“So…fucking…GOOD… anhhh!!”

Byleth screamed as he thrust in deep from the amusement of her basic, yet truest words. He grinned wide, watching her begin to crumble with the fullness of his cock. With a devilish laugh he laid her down on the bed, and gripped her hips so tightly that she was bound to have bruises. He was still in her, and he resumed with intense thrusts that got her moaning his name. Hearing her needy voice only made his cock gain more energy, and he started really fucking her wet, hot cunt. He felt her clench her hips, getting ready for her big wave, and was utterly amazed that she had lasted this long. 

“Claude, I’m…” She tried stifling her moans with the back of her hand, but Claude pulled her hand away and laced his fingers in between hers instead.

“I know, Teach. But I want to hear you.” He shifted slightly to save the best angle for last, one that hit a little deeper and stretched her just a little more. She was gripping his hand so tightly, holding on for dear life, but she waited for his command to release. 

“Let loose, By. Cum for me.”

With back arched, legs pressed together, and inner walls clamping down on his cock as if to break it, Byleth howled as she experienced nirvana. Her vision was white like lightning, and her shakes were wilder than her first orgasm. She released so much of her own cum that it somehow started to seep out of her swollen, overused folds. 

Claude groaned at the vice grip on his cock. He couldn’t continue thrusting anymore, as her divine tightness almost caused his mind to go black in ecstasy. With the last bit of control he had, Claude pulled out at the final moment before spilling unto her stomach. It was his biggest load thus far, and seeing Byleth’s dazed, limp body made him release even more. He cried her name like a prayer before finally dropping down beside her, fully spent and satiated.

They lay beside each other for a long time, huffing and panting to cool down from the intensity. “That… was perfect, By.” Claude whispered, wiping the sweat off his face. Byleth hummed, whispering something that sounded like “noisy” and “sleeping”. She then shifted to wrap her arms around him, nestling right within his broad figure in search of warmth. Claude reciprocated the embrace and rubbed her smooth back in response. 

“Thank you, By. Thank you for trusting me.”

Byleth sought more of his skin to hide under. “Can I stay here? Sorry for being so tired.”

“You mean you weren’t planning to?” Claude chided, stroking her hair.

Byleth didn’t answer that, and instead asked him her own question before drifting off to sleep. “Next time… again…?”

“Anytime, Teach.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I took a bit more time to write this half because I wanted their first time to go a certain way.  
> I hope you enjoyed all that pure smut!! Please do leave feedback (smut suggestions highly welcome!!) as the next chapters will definitely be them exploring their new relationship. But one thing's for sure: things are going to get extra steamy in the next!


	5. First Heat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth navigates her needs and asks for something she didn’t quite properly consider.

When Claude said “anytime”, Byleth took his response literally. 

In contrast to their previous encounters, Byleth sought the Alymran King _actively_. It didn’t help (or helped greatly) that the Order of Heroes were stationed at their captured fort for almost a week, waiting out a sudden blizzard that cut off their advance and their supply route from across the border. Snowed in, the time was used to plan for their next mission, but in Byleth’s case, it was spent missing taskforce meetings and finding her lover instead.

She would seek him everywhere, and at any time of the day.

As Claude would walk around the halls, she’d pull him into a dark corner to reach for a searing hot kiss. As soon as their heavy petting progressed past underwear, they’d find the nearest empty room or closet for Claude to eat her out. On afternoons that they trained together, Byleth would use all her strength to overpower Claude so she could pin him down on the ground. With her sweat and built-up slick, she would rush to sink down on his hard shaft, groaning loudly from the fullness. On other times, Byleth forced herself to be in situations where they weren’t _supposed_ to be together, such as in Claude’s own battalion meetings. Unbeknownst to anyone but Claude, Byleth would hide under the table and suck him off hungrily. She’d pull, suck, leave kisses and long licks, watching from underneath for her lover to crumble and silently paint her face with his release. When the meeting would end and everyone else gone from the room, Claude would throw her over the table and fuck her roughly as punishment, thumbing her clit with lightning speed to teach her a lesson. 

Deviant daytime behavior wasn’t her only vice. It was the actual bed sex that really kept her insatiable fire burning. They’d fuck at night for more than a round, going at it for hours like wild animals. Upon waking in the morning they’d make love again, Byleth learning about a man’s morning wood and taking advantage of it. They did it slowly and more passionately, ultimately finding warmth from the harsh chill of dawn. Then the cycle would repeat, both never wanting to let go. In the front of their minds the rationale would be the need to produce body heat from their connected cores to keep themselves warm. But the real reason: they—or rather, Byleth—was just addicted to the sex. 

Neither of them knew what drove her so wild. After that first night of losing her virginity, Byleth just felt some sort of uncontrollable itch—one that craved to be touched and made love to by Claude. She was acting like a wyvern in heat, hot and needy with an overflow of wetness between her legs, that she once even admitted that she had no bottoms left to wear. 

But at the same time, the professor had become ever so curious, gaining confidence in the way her body was adjusting to every stretch. She would show progress everyday, whether in taking more of his cock in her mouth or in her folds. And in effect, she was never satiated. She was so hungry for him, always wanting to touch and be touched. 

Claude had no complaints. He was pliant and equally in need of the professor, and he was having the best few days of his life. She didn’t need to say anything, nor did he need to ask. Byleth would just rub against him or guide his hand to cup her wet shorts, and before they knew it, they were already naked… or whatever they could manage to remove if they were in a rush. He would never deny her, his curious little minx that asked—no, _begged_ with her pleading eyes to fuck in certain angles, locations, and times of the day. There were instances when Claude thought others might be suspicious of their absence, but ultimately, he was more interested in serving the ardent desires of his muse. 

In truth, no one had come looking for them anyway. With Byleth’s leadership blunder and Claude’s supposed “light week” to heal from his injuries, it gave them the perfect excuse to hibernate and discover each other’s heavenly bodies. Similarly, the two couldn’t care less about anyone. They only cared about each other’s skin, moans, body heat, and slick, as if those were all they needed to survive. 

But their bliss would be cut off prematurely. When the time came for Claude and a few others to be selected on a mission, rendering him gone for two whole days, Byleth displayed unspoken agony at the loss. She trembled in disappointment, already wanting his warm hands the minute he lifted off. The next few hours of solace were spent having sex dreams from the lack of intimacy. 

Why was she like this? She didn’t understand why her body felt so empty with his absence, her core swollen, never dry, and pleading to be touched. She was supposed to be a teacher and someone responsible. But she couldn’t control it. After doing it with Claude for the first time, it was all that her body yearned for, like a drug she needed to stay alive. She still didn’t know many things, but Claude looked so experienced, and only _he_ made her feel that way.

She was so touch-starved that she would excuse herself from meetings and lock herself in Claude’s room, longing for his presence. It was a dangerous thing to be alone without him; there was much idle time to think of many lewd thoughts and scenarios. 

Byleth would wrap herself in his sheets, get lost in his scent, and try to touch herself, imagining it was him doing so instead. Then she’d catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror across his bed, watching as her body keened to her touch. How her nipples hardened from her pinching, her wet folds enveloping her own fingers when she pressed into her hole… was this how Claude saw her when they made love? He would always entrap her in a dark gaze, lips salivating as if she was a delicious meal. Byleth put herself in his shoes and decided she liked her body as well—how it would sweat, shine, twist and contort in pleasure only for him. For his eyes and hands only. 

She watched herself in the mirror as she orgasmed—a small one without Claude’s signature touch. She observed the way her hole clenched around her fingers, but more importantly—the way her fluids flowed out of her in light pulses. Now that she was able to appreciate this lewd scene, she started wondering what it would feel like if Claude released into her pussy instead. He would always spill his warm seed on her stomach or chest after sex, and considering the amount he usually released, Byleth now craved to feel the same warmth _inside_ instead of outside her body. 

She was determined to change his routine when he came back. But first, she needed to practice her fingering.

\-----------------------------------------------------

Nagini landed on the snow-covered pathway and Claude felt his supposedly thick-scaled partner shiver from the hours of flying in the cold. He had quadrupled his armor to keep him warm, but the fact that his wyvern also felt cold meant that the temperature was too frigid to continue. 

“Yeah, I can’t feel my hands as well,” he huffed through his muffler as he slowly alighted from his saddle. He pulled the reins towards the stables and found large cloths to cover his wyvern under. “Remind me to never accept such a mission again. Sweet dreams, old girl.”

Claude rubbed Nagini’s chin and picked up the supply bag that he had successfully collected. He retreated into the warmth of the connecting hallway and made for the dining hall to drop off the much-needed resources. It was late at night but his team—those who had made it back earlier than he—were all cradling bowls of hot soup by a fire. Claude would have wanted to indulge in that too, but he wasn’t feeling very extroverted at the moment. The others called him over, but he waved back to decline. Smiling as he left the room, Claude headed for the bathhouse for more solitary warmth.

He dragged his tired feet through the fort’s winding stone halls until he reached double doors that pushed open to thick steam. Claude sighed upon entering through the hot mist of the baths, and he started pulling off his many layers of clothing as he walked towards the edge of the heated pools. Once fully naked with clothes littered across the floor, he stepped into the shallow spring and lowered his body into the water. 

Claude groaned in relief of finally feeling warmth. He spread both arms by the edge of the spring and closed his eyes, allowing his body to relax in the soothing heat. Soon Claude heard the swinging of the doors and light footsteps from a distance, but he couldn’t care less if the other men wanted to join. It was a public bathhouse anyway and he just needed to take the frozen chill off. Even when he felt the presence of the other joiner enter the pool, he decided that he wouldn’t be bothered. He just wanted to relax…

“You didn’t want to warm up with me?”

Claude was abruptly shaken awake with the sound of a familiar voice and soft hands on his chest. When he opened his eyes, he was face to face with a disappointed Byleth, whose hands were now travelling down to his abdomen. “I waited for you, but you came here instead.”

The King blushed from the heat, Byleth’s admissions, and the fact that she was pressing her naked body against his. She was rubbing her core against his leg, and despite the warmth of the water, he could feel her skin was even hotter with need. She looked at him with half-lidded eyes, pheromones emitting her usual scent of desire.

“H-hey Teach. Thought you might have gone to bed already,” Claude confessed. He truly considered the late hour and didn’t think she’d still be up. The curious professor submerged her hand to reach his tip, and he jerked slightly from the sudden touch. “I-I… just needed…to wash and get some… warmth from the friggin cold…”

“I could’ve warmed you up instead,” replied Byleth, fully wrapping her hands around his half-hard cock. “Next time you should come straight to me…”

Claude nodded at her words, though only half-listening. With his weary state conflicting with a growing erection, he let himself drift off into the pleasure of her hands working his member. She started placing kisses from his cheek and down to his chest. When she swirled her tongue around a nipple, Claude felt a surge of energy that travelled through his sensitive body and down to his long shaft, which quickly grew to its full size underwater. 

“Woah By, look what you’ve done to me,” Claude panted. He lifted himself upwards to sit on the edge of the pool, his cock springing to life and twitching in anticipation. Byleth unceremoniously stuck out her tongue to lick his dripping member. She sucked him off impatiently, taking his whole cock in her mouth and hands massaging the sides. Claude groaned from the escalation of events, his head thrown backwards from the sensation of her hot tongue providing much needed warmth. 

Byleth continued to devour him hungrily, licking from the base to the tip and playing with his crown that had started to leak pre-cum. She sped up her hand that was pumping his shaft and moved further down to suck on his balls, a new weak spot that she had discovered in their previous sessions. 

Claude’s body was now fully hot and awake. His cock had become rock-hard so quickly, and it wouldn’t be long before he would release. He watched his muse continue to play with his shaft, in awe of how she was hungrily sucking every crevice of his manhood. Claude grabbed the back of her head and shoved her mouth down further onto his cock. 

Byleth moaned as he hit the back of her throat. She felt so full of his thick cock that seemed bigger than she remembered, despite not having sex for just two days. But she had improved in her deepthroating ability greatly, and she didn’t feel the need to gag as much. 

Claude had taken over in thrusting into her mouth, also noting her newfound prowess. Her mouth was so hot and perfect around his shaft, that he cried out her name as he stiffened with his climax. He spilled a huge load into her mouth, groaning with every pulse of the release.

Byleth was ecstatic at finally having to taste Claude again. But when she realized that his cum wasn’t in the place where she wanted, her eyes widened and she pushed herself away from his pelvis. Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough, and his cock only pulsed one last time. She watched disappointedly at the remaining white liquid floating away into the bathwater.

Claude hadn’t caught her dismay as he was still coming down from his high. “Phew… you’re right By. You warmed me up real good. That stupid supply run really wore me out and probably froze my insides.”

Byleth grabbed the opportunity with his statement and pulled him out of the pool. “You’re still cold right? Let’s go warm up in your room.” She covered herself with a robe and did the same to the King as he picked up some of his own clothes. She took his hand and led him out of the bathhouse, hastily passing through dark and thankfully empty halls until they reached a separate wing that led to Claude’s quarters. When they entered, Claude groaned in relief from escaping the chill, then dropped his jaw at the sight before him.

His room was littered with hundreds of candles, all lit and painting the room in a warm orange glow. The candles surrounded his bedspread that was now situated on the floor, fixed in a nest-like arrangement with pillows and soft fur lined around it. Byleth stepped in front of him and towards the bedspread. She turned to face him and slowly removed her robe, allowing Claude to watch with burning eyes as it slip down her pale body slowly, as if to reacquaint him with her nakedness. She kneeled to settle inside the nest, then reached her hand out to him. 

“Let me warm you up some more, Claude.”

The King pulled off his own robe and lunged forward to capture his lover. He laid her down on the bedspread and kissed her, hungrily devouring her hot mouth and tongue. He caressed her face and wove his hands into her hair, pulling her as close as possible to his ravenous mouth. When they separated for air, his heart melted at the sight of the beautiful professor glowing and smiling back at him. 

“By, I’m sorry I didn’t seek you out the minute I arrived. Thank you for reminding me what it feels like to be back in your arms again.”

Byleth felt heat in her cheeks and wrapped her arms around his neck. “As long as you come back to me.”

“I’ll always come back to you, Teach.” Claude started palming her breasts as he nuzzled her neck once again. He licked and nipped her soft flesh, wanting so very much to hear her light mewls with every touch. He kissed each side of her neck, then worked his way down to her nipples, first pinching before sucking on her swollen areolas. He noted how she moaned louder and squirmed under him more dynamically than normal, and thus considered that their two-day separation had much to do with her sensitivity. 

He would not leave her ample, bouncing bosom, but an idle hand started its way down to feel her soft stomach, caressing her waist and curves. She squirmed as he neared her lower region, and he could feel her body heat emanating from her core. He accepted the hot invitation and cupped her wet sex, grinning when her anticipated moans filled the room. 

“Awww, are you still not used to my touch?” he whispered in her ear, while his hand rubbed her extremely wet folds. “Damn, you’re full of slick, Teach. Two days has done this much damage to you?” Byleth wouldn’t answer, mind in the clouds with the pleasure of his touch. Claude kept his eye on her squirming face, all while spreading her lips to find her sensitive and throbbing bulb. He pinched it, sending shivers down the professor’s spine. 

“Tell me what you want, By.”

Byleth bit her lips at the discovery of her clit and the devilish demands of the wyvern lord. She thought she could get away without saying a word, that he would continue rubbing her off as the night went on. But the King paused all work on her pussy, and just grinned at the waiting Byleth. She bucked her hips upward to let their skin touch, but he wouldn’t engage. 

“No, By. You gotta use your words. Instruct me, _my teacher_.”

The professor grumbled in hesitation but her burning core was twitching in desire painfully. Byleth mumbled a word, Claude asking her to speak up and repeat. She swallowed her pride and shouted in annoyance. 

“I want you to eat me!!!”

Claude covered her mouth and laughed. “You didn’t have to scream, Teach. You’re gonna wake the whole fort.”

She grumbled underneath his palm and he took that as the order to finally get back to work. He moved down between her legs, ready to lovingly unfurl her folds with his mouth. But this time Byleth was more confident in herself, and she took the initiative to spread her outer lips wide open, presenting herself and her already flowing liquids to him. No wonder she was so adamant and impatient—she was practically begging to be touched. If only he could paint a picture of her like this, all lewd and dirty for his eyes only.

Her swollen cunt was twitching in anticipation, and when Claude didn’t touch her yet, she impatiently dipped a finger in her own hole, enticing the lord. 

“Hey now, Teach. When did you learn to touch yourself like that?” he challenged, clearly amused at her initiative.

“When I couldn’t be with you, but needed you in me,” she replied bluntly, blushing apple red.

An idea crossed Claude’s mind and he sat down on the bed a bit farther from her. “You know what—why do I have to do all the work?” he said, crossing his arms behind his head. “I think you can get yourself off nicely; I’ll just watch.”

Byleth propped herself up on her forearms and glared at him, but the Almyran only grinned back. “You should put in some practice Teach. Y’know… for when I’m not with you.”

The professor whined but didn’t have the strength to argue. Her sex was demanding attention, and if she wasn’t going to get this damned noble to touch her, she’d have to survive herself. Byleth opened her legs, trying to disregard the embarrassment of doing this in front of the smug King. She reached for her wet labia, found her hole, and quickly dipped her finger inside. 

“Maybe you should start with your clit first, Teach”, Claude said from his position, a smirk plastered unto his face. 

“If you know so much, you should come down here and touch me yourself.” 

The King zipped his mouth shut and shrugged. Byleth grumbled but took his advice, finding her hooded clit and thumbing it. She started moaning from her own actions, and she increased the speed of her rubbing to pop her sensitive nub out of its hiding place. She watched her lover lick his lips, and she knew he was starting to regret his taunts. Byleth gasped loudly as she pressed her nub, adding more impact to the show that Claude was fervently watching. He soon grasped his cock, spreading his leaking pre-cum along the length to aid in his own masturbation. 

She circled her swollen clit, just like he would. She pinched it, using the same pressure he applied on her. She tried to remember all the details, trying to show off that she could do it without requiring a man. She was doing quite well, seeing as how Claude was furrowing his brow from not being needed. But when it came to insertion, she cursed under her breath on the size of her fingers which didn’t quite do the trick. She was so used to Claude’s that her own couldn’t compare, especially knowing that his was just a meter away. It was like her cunt would only be satiated with his—his size, roughness, and speed. 

Byleth inserted two, then three of her thin fingers, and grunted when she couldn’t get it in as deep. Claude noticed she was having a hard time, but the damned King only laughed at her shortcomings. 

“Claude…” she moaned, voice heavy with need. 

Claude wanted to resist but the dick in his hand was also for throbbing for her. “C’mon Teach, you can do it…” he tried reassuring her but didn’t have enough energy to chide either. 

Byleth knew his restraints were breaking, and she opened her legs wider for him to see her swollen, pink, and extremely wet cunt. She inserted a fourth finger, hoping to drive him off the edge. 

“Please Claude, help me…”

The King cursed under his breath and answered her call. He pushed in his own finger, adding to the stretch. Byleth immediately cried in pleasure at finally having him inside. He added in another, totaling to six in her stretched pussy, and Claude was just left amazed at her capacity. He dove in to suck on her exposed clit, alternating between the sensitive nub and all other places he could work his tongue into.

Byleth withdrew her fingers which he immediately replaced with his third, then pressed on her pleasure point within her walls. As much as she loved to crumble under his expert tongue and fingers, Byleth had no more fight nor patience to play along with the teasing. Her mind was spinning and she needed him fast or she would break. 

“Claude, stop doing this to me. I can’t wait any longer. Please… I haven’t seen you for two days. I need you now, please, please…” Byleth blurted out more words than usual, but her body badly required to be connected with Claude once more.

The Almyran King took a last sip from her hole then straightened up to line his cock by her entrance. When he pushed in, they moaned at the same time, finally achieving the true intimacy of their joining. They looked into each other’s eyes full of ardent desire, hearts swelling in excitement as if it were their first time to have sex. The ambiance of the room ignited their passion and lust, and they captured each other’s moans with their kisses. 

Claude started with slow thrusts as he worked his way down to her neck, still nuzzling his favorite spots. He graduated to faster movements, going deeper into her womb with each plunge. Her burning and tight cunt wrapped his cock perfectly, and he moaned her name into the groove of her neck.

Byleth felt her orgasm rising again and knew he was near too. This time, she made the necessary preparations earlier to ensure they would not waste their climax. She caressed his soft hair and whispered into his ear. 

“Claude, I want you to come in me.”

The dark-skinned King paused his movements and looked up at her, surprised. “W-what? By… what did you say?”

“I don’t want you to pull out. I want to know what it feels like.” 

Claude blinked in disbelief, realizing that he had never done so before, even with the other Byleth back home. “B-By are you sure? This is….” He started doubting himself, but it wasn’t a matter of performance. It was going to be a huge new step in their relationship.

Byleth cupped his face in her warm hands and smiled back calmly. “You would do anything for me, right?” When he nodded, she planted the softest kiss on his lips to reassure him. “Then please, I want you to cum until it flows out of me.”

As promised, he would never deny her.

Claude pulled out briefly to reposition himself high above her small body. He lifted both her legs and settled them atop his shoulders, an action that Byleth questioned in her mind. Claude then rammed into her waiting cunt, and Byleth’s initial confusion was wiped off the face of the earth. This was going to be her new favorite position.

She moaned his name as he pounded into her pussy, which was tighter in this angle. Claude’s cock speared into her mercilessly, his balls hitting the underside of her ass with every deep plunge. “Goddess… your pussy is fucking heaven!”

Byleth’s vision was hazy but she tried to chase her orgasm by fondling her breasts. Jealous of her hands, Claude leaned forward to reach for her chest, and in effect folded Byleth’s legs closer to her body. This shifted his thrusting angle, allowing him to go even deeper and causing Byleth to shout in ecstasy. Either she had become even tighter, or his cock had doubled in size, as he too cried in pleasure. It was a far departure from their first encounters, Byleth now begging and screaming his name and not wanting to let go.

“I will breed you, By!!!” 

Claude shot his biggest load thus far into her sex, cum hot and thick and filling her to the brim. He felt her walls clench to introduce her own orgasm, and her own liquids become mixed with his, overflowing out of her cunt. Byleth gasped without a sound, finally achieving her most-awaited request to be filled with his hot seed. It was like nirvana, where she could feel his cum warming and soothing her insides. She was left to wonder why they didn't do this sooner. A minute had already elapsed and he hadn’t finished, his cock still slowly pulsing inside of her. Byleth imagined how his throbbing cock would have looked, his white fluids seeping out of her overused pussy. She made a mental note to put the mirror in the right position next time.

When Claude finally pulled out of her, Byleth moaned again at the loss, but more so for the insane amount of hot liquid that oozed out of her folds, staining the bedspread in a small puddle under her butt. The lewd sensation made her pussy twitch, as if ready to take him again, but the rest of her body was too tired to move. Claude too was exhausted from his powerful lovemaking, and he settled down on his side and behind her. He draped his arm over her small frame, pulling her close and kissing the back of her neck. 

“Teach… you were so amazing. I’ve never done that before.”

Byleth chuckled quietly then suddenly remembered his last words before he released into her. “What did you mean by breeding me?”

Claude opened his eyes wide and tensed behind her. Byleth turned to find her confused lover who chuckled nervously. “Teach… I’m sorry, it was a turn of phrase. I didn’t really mean to have children…”

“Children? With what?”

“T-teach… are you not… aware?” Claude gulped, assuming the worst which was highly likely given her sexual ignorance. “My cum in you… that’s how you get pregnant.”

Byleth blinked once, twice, and blurted out a simple “oh”. She bit her lip and looked at him with an embarrassed chuckle. “So… I now carry your child?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok truth be told I was inspired by A/B/O dynamics for this-- especially with the chapter title. So yes, Ms Byleth was very much in need. :) Who knows, maybe I'll write an omegaverse setting soon...
> 
> If you're tired of the smut train (but why?), next chapter will see some more feelings ~~~
> 
> Always very grateful for everyone's kudos and comments!!! BTW i'm now on Twitter (to retweet Claudeleth NSFW lel) see u there? http://twitter.com/smoothpeachbutt


	6. First Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude deals with a 180 Byleth, his past, and his jealousy, and ends up regretting his actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caution: fic's archive warnings apply here. If you reach the end, please do read my end notes. Thank you in advance!

Claude’s eyes grew wide and he blushed a deep red. He hadn’t thought this far down the road, and yet his gorgeous lover before him was just giggling. Giggling! All within a few seconds, Claude entertained the thought of her pregnancy, let it marinade in his mind as he thought of plans… but ultimately brushed off his imagination. He held Byleth tighter in his arms and kissed her forehead.

“By, I’m so sorry for allowing this to happen. I was such a fool. Don’t worry—tomorrow we’ll get some herbs for you to drink and those should prevent any future mishaps.”

“So… I won’t be pregnant anymore?”

Claude almost froze. “D-did you want to?” 

“Hm…” Byleth hummed from underneath his embrace and Claude couldn’t be any more nervous at what she could possibly say. “I wonder how it would feel like, but I guess I’m not ready either.” 

The Almyran didn’t know whether to sigh with relief or have to play scenarios in his mind of the possibilities. He decided to go against his dogma of taking risks as he lifted himself off the floor and stood. 

“By, you’re killing me. I’m not gonna take any chances; I’ll get those herbs for you right now.”

“W-wait! Don’t leave me here.” Byleth called out as she frantically stood to put on a robe as well.

“Fine, then I’ll carry you to it.” Claude picked her up in his arms as they stepped out of his room. The noble brisk walked through the halls, the pair chuckling quietly from Claude’s grand gesture. The cold evening air blew past them, and although they shivered from the chill, they were more excited from the rush of their little escapade.

When they arrived at the wing where the infirmary was located, they spotted someone further down the hall, head hung low and about to knock on a door. Byleth realized it was her room’s doorway that he was stationed at, and thus motioned for Claude to let her down from his arms. He complied, similarly wondering who was visiting the professor late at night.

Byleth started walking towards her room and recognized a head of golden hair on the hunched figure. The man turned to the approaching professor with a weary look, on the brink of tears.

“Dimitri, is that you?” Byleth called out, just a few steps away from her young student. “What are you doing here so late?”

The prince kept his gaze only on the professor, eyes dark and drooping. “Professor… I apologize, I didn’t know you were out. Your room was the nearest…” Dimitri lowered his head as his voice broke. Upon reaching him, Byleth placed her hands on his shoulders and felt him trembling. 

“Dimitri, are you okay? What happened?” 

“It’s just… I can’t sleep… the voices, they’re terribly loud tonight,” Dimitri sounded extremely tired, a version of the prince that Byleth had never encountered before. “M-may I stay and talk with you professor? I… just can’t be alone right now…”

Claude, watching their conversation from behind, clenched his fists at seeing the familiar scene unfold before his eyes… again. He hoped it would be different in this world, but then realized that Dimitri’s past was never going to change, and he’d seek out his beloved professor just the same, like he did all those years ago back in his world. He felt a similar rush of jealousy as he did when he was a teenager watching this scene back at Garreg Mach, on nights that he’d planned to visit the professor as well. And yet, here was the golden prince once more, luring Byleth with his disgusting innocence. This guy really needed to man up. 

Oh right, Claude thought. That wasn’t going to happen until five more years.

“Isn’t it inappropriate for a student to call on his professor so late at night?” Claude questioned, trying to sound neutral while still dropping hints. “And in a female teacher’s quarters, too.”

Dimitri finally noticed Claude as he spoke, and his face whitened from the realization of his mistake. He was about to step back, but Byleth held onto his arms to keep him in place. She turned to glare at the Almyran King and shook her head. “Claude, you should go back. I’ll take it from here.”

“But By…”

“I need to take care of my student. Don’t worry, I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Byleth whirled around and ushered the weary prince into her room. Claude chased after them but was instead treated to a door banged shut in his face. 

What the fuck? Never in his life had Claude been shut out from anyone or anything. And he didn’t expect so with Byleth, whom he thought he was already getting along with. He was about to bang on her door, but his more rational mind overcame his seething anger. He pressed an ear to the door instead but heard nothing. Grumbling silently, he started walking back to his quarters, the cogs in his mind turning and replaying scenes from the past. 

Byleth was always very attentive to her students; she’d drop everything to care for them or answer their needs to the best of her ability. Claude knew she was just being responsible for the nightmare-clouded prince, but the itch in the back of his mind couldn’t remove the possibility that he could very well lose Byleth all over again. He was reminded of this first encounter of Dimitri and Byleth many years ago, which was the pivotal moment that started their doomed relationship…and ended his own. He clicked his tongue in regret of allowing this to happen again in Askr, and he grew cold and dark in worry.

It was already going so well with Byleth. She was so much more expressive and seemed to truly want him too. But he couldn’t make the same mistake of assuming he had already secured a tight hold on her, considering tonight’s sour turn for the worse. He underestimated the pull of Dimitri’s brokenness towards her, which, if he didn’t play his cards right, would ultimately cause the love of his life to disappear. He could’ve told her about the potential future, but he didn’t want to risk her mistrust either.

Claude tried to rationalize that Byleth left him saying ‘not to worry’, and that she’d ‘see him tomorrow’. Good. Likely in the morning she’d seek him out again, or they’d have a secret rendezvous in the afternoon. This wasn’t going to be permanent…

It dragged on for multiple days.

Byleth…normalized. Her lust had simmered down, and she resumed her responsibilities as teacher to the Blue Lions through daily training sessions. She had even taken in the other Houses’ students, considering there wasn’t any other teacher that had been summoned to Askr, thus keeping her fully preoccupied. 

The war had reached a stalemate, and it was “the perfect time to beef up their strength”, so she said during a meal that they were able to share together, albeit only once. After that, she was busy enough that she stopped actively looking for him. Tables turned, Claude would be the one instead to wait on her after training sessions or taskforces, offering to have dinner, a massage, or go for an easy stroll. Byleth would just smile and plant a peck on his cheek, then apologize, decline, and retire to her own chambers from exhaustion. 

Her 180-degree turn caused Claude’s heart and mind to darken. He was disturbed from flashbacks and scenarios of what-ifs, that he could hardly concentrate and lay still for any longer than five minutes. It wasn’t that she was avoiding him; it didn’t seem like it, or so Claude would rationalize. 

But after having observed the way she spent more time with her students, particularly Dimitri and his daily training regimen, Claude’s confident demeanor was shaken to its core. His anxiety took a turn for the worse, and Claude only aggravated his state by throwing himself into a downward spiral of daily drinking. Whether he was alone in his room or watching Byleth across the courtyard, his hand was never without a bottle. The intoxication inevitably tapped into his past darkness, bringing forth his worst memories, but at other times it was a welcome band-aid solution to the loss of euphoria from Byleth’s touch. Regardless, the ale and port were his new companions that allowed him to scheme and plan his next step. He had to act fast and win her back, lest he regret once again the same inaction from five years ago.

Claude’s opportunity came one evening when she was working late to make reports. She was holed up in an empty war council room, where she had already spent most of the day. He learned of her intent to burn the midnight oil, and he jumped at the chance to be with her. He quickly straightened himself up, considering the seven or eight bottles he’s had since noon. His mind was already quite dizzy, but he put on his best foot forward to stay with her and help. Byleth was considerate, not really giving work to the Almyran King, but allowed him to accompany her in the dark room. 

Great, maybe he could find an opening to charm her… if he could concentrate from the booze.

“Gotta say Teach, I feel…we haven’t seen each other much these past few days…” Claude spoke with a light slur and smile, which she didn’t return as her eyes were plastered on her papers. 

“Don’t we say goodnight before we retire in the evenings?” she said listlessly, still not turning to him. 

Claude leaned forward to rest his head on the desk, using a free hand to play with a quill. Admittedly he was slowing down from his intoxicated state, but he tried his best to manage his agenda for tonight, versus his internal, growing frustration. 

“Yes… but we don’t really spend time together, do we?” Claude asked, stressing on specific words to get his point across. When her eyes finally met his, Claude was still quick enough to display his most charming smile. Surprisingly it made her stop writing.

“I guess I’ve been caught up with training. I’m accountable for my students, thus my reports to Commander Anna.” Byleth tilted her head towards her papers to indicate her preoccupation, then went back to writing.

Claude took the hint but instead tried a different approach. 

“Oh… I’m sure you’ve taken care of ‘em, Teach. You were…looking out for us, you know—always before… so I’m not surprised you’re the same here,” Claude started, twirling the quill with his fingertips. He tried his best to manage his slurs while still sounding charming and cute. “I bet your students are well-trained…already…Whereas I—”

Byleth cut him off, looking up to think about her students. “Well, Ingrid and Ferdinand are definitely putting in the work. Sylvain’s strong but lacking focus, as usual…”

Claude blinked at her surprising eager tone, then quickly steered the conversation back into his plan. “Yep…they’re definitely prepared…! But you know, I may also need some attentio—”

“And Dimitri. He’s already very strong, and he’s really refined his technique over the past few days. I believe he’s already perfected the art of the lance…”

The man tensed upon hearing his rival’s name, and noticed how Byleth was talking his head off with her nonstop praise for the prince. He tried to flash his most attractive smile, trying to hide his discomfort with this topic, although his deep inebriation was proving the task to be difficult. “Yeah, he’s pretty good already… and that’s why I…! think…! You can put your work on pause—” 

“He’s always asking for extra training time though. Perhaps he wants to learn the sword. And perhaps the axe, too…”

As Byleth continued, Claude grumbled silently in his seat, blood boiling with the conversation. The hand that he had on her hip earlier, initially trying to rub her sides lovingly and shift to a more pleasurable mood, was now gripping on her shorts, almost fisting the cloth in sheer frustration. Byleth hadn’t noticed this, still absorbed in her own discussion. Nor did she notice when he tried calling her name slowly, which only fueled his irritation.

“…in fact, I think he wants to spend the next few nights training after hours.”

That pushed him over the edge.

As his mind snapped, so did the thin quill he had been playing with in his hand. He gave in to the barrels of ale and gave up his painstaking attempts to be pleasant. Claude gripped Byleth’s wrists and pulled her to his chest, locking her in for a hot yet very angry kiss. Byleth yelped, both from the sudden action and the way he forced his tongue all over her mouth. When he released her for a breath, Claude flashed a seething gaze, his verdant eyes seemingly turning into fire red with lustful rage. “No trainings… No Dimitri…” he grunted, breathing heavily in vexation.

Byleth hadn’t picked up the cue, and she continued, partly innocently. “What do you mean? I need to train Dimitri—”

Claude’s patience had worn paper-thin by this point, her ignorance destroying his rationality and soberness. He stood and turned Byleth around so he could press his broad frame forcefully against her back. Each of his hands took their respective domains—the left grabbed her chest, while his right cupped her core down south, rubbing it through her shorts. He then lowered his face to her neck, breathing hot and heavy on her now trembling skin. 

“Enough of the prince!” he growled, hands still roughly groping her. “All you can talk about is that disgusting golden boy, when _I’m_ the one who’s here… who’s always been with you.” 

The Almyran sucked hard on the side of her neck, causing Byleth to moan deeply from the sensations on her three most sensitive regions. She was locked tight in his powerful grasp, her whole body taking the brunt of the lord’s pleasuring but bruising hands. Claude continued to rub her forcefully through her clothes, licking and sucking from her jaw to her collarbone.

But Claude would only get bored with all the layers limiting the feel of her sumptuous curves and soft flesh. With his strong grip, Claude tore her blouse, splitting open the buttoned fabric in two. Her ample breasts spilled out, bouncing from the sudden force. Claude noticed her nipples were extremely erect and swollen, and he flashed a devilish grin in pride of his groping handiwork.

He whirled her around a second time so that he could finally access her bosom. He dove straight for one mound, latching onto the fullness of it, while his free hand continued at her core, this time worming his way past the waistband of her shorts. He reached her soft folds and expertly found her sacred nub through its hood to rub and pinch. Claude did all these in mere seconds, hurrying in frustration of the woman’s stiffness despite his ministrations. 

Why wouldn’t she relax? Was she not feeling as hot for him in the same way he desired her? As Claude wondered, he bit on her breast in both hunger and irritation, leaving visible teeth marks around her areola. Surprisingly for Claude, the professor yelped in pain and yanked the back of his head off her chest vigorously. The Almyran hissed from the sharp and threatening pull of his hair, and his angry eyes met her questioning blue orbs. That was _not_ the reaction he wanted from her.

After the split-second staredown, Claude pushed Byleth down against the desk, her bare chest pressed against papers and quills. Before Byleth could react, Claude lowered his body over hers, hovering near her face and breathing his desire with a strained voice. 

“Don’t you want me, Byleth?” He pleaded quite painfully. He started palming her soft and round behind through her shorts, eliciting small moans from the woman. “All I want is you… all I _need_ is you. Please…”

It was a brief moment of tenderness for the dazed Almyran, his mind teetering between madness and pure intent. But Byleth, ignorantly unaware of handling the wounded and aching king deer, tried pushing him off, uttering his name in confusion. “C-claude, wait… not like this…”

Her reasoning rubbed Claude the wrong way, and his last sliver of sobriety was broken by whom he thought would’ve been a more receptive lover. 

He had enough.

Claude rose from his position and slapped her ass, eliciting a sharp gasp from Byleth. He particularly liked her sounds when they had sex, but he wasn’t catching onto the difference in tone of a version full of aching need, versus the way she shuddered in surprise right now. Instead, he slapped her soft and round cheeks again, goaded by her whimpering, which was an indeterminable sound of pain or pleasure. 

“He can’t have you,” he started, voice deep and serious. “There’s no way I’d let him have you. Not again.” 

He ran his hands all over her, feelings of possessiveness rising. As he roamed her body, Claude’s mind ran wild with an outpour of overwhelming emotions that clouded his rationality. From the highs—the immediate satisfaction of her heavenly skin against his—, to the deep lows of hate, frustration, and anger, which he couldn’t even determine if they were for his rival, or being mistakenly directed towards the woman underneath him. He only knew one truth: Byleth must be his. 

“I cannot lose you again, Byleth,” Claude whispered. He himself had a pained visage, heart and mind in emotional turmoil at the memory of losing her. He couldn’t bear to go through that again. “You are mine. _Only mine._ ”

He slithered downward to her shorts, fingers lacing under the waistband to pull them down. But it was at that moment of preoccupation that Byleth found space to push Claude away with her elbow. She then twisted forward and blasted him with a light fire spell, sending him flying a meter away. 

Claude banged against a wooden cupboard, breaking the drawer doors from the force of the blast. It wasn’t a deadly strike—he’d survived worse hits than this—, but being caught off-guard coupled with his inebriation, Claude groaned in pain from the impact to his back and head, which hit the hard surface last from the ricochet. As he got his bearings, Claude felt a slight sting across his chest, likely the feel of the flames searing through his clothes. But the more persistent pain was the ringing in his ears and throbbing of his head. He rubbed a hand against his bleeding temple, as the last of his mad drunkenness had simmered into sobriety, vision also clearing from the heavy daze. He propped himself up to stand slowly, then tried waving away the smoke from the fire magic. But what would be revealed to him past the cloudy veil would only propel him into dark regret.

Byleth was bent over the messed-up table, visibly shaken and panting heavily. Half-naked, hair and clothes in shambles, she was avoiding his gaze, while her arms clutched her torn clothes in an attempt to cover up. Despite various instances of seeing each other naked, she held onto the fabric of her tunic for dear life as if it were her lifebuoy, embarrassed and in pain. 

Claude was still confused at what had occurred, but upon seeing her crying face—the hurt in her quivering lips, and the fear and bewilderment in her watery eyes—, the sight sent Claude plummeting to the depths of his darkest memories. 

He blinked once and his vision shifted to a scene from a few years back, where a green-haired Byleth lay limp on stone-cold ground. Clothes all torn, body terribly beaten and littered with bruises and fresh scratches. Her bare behind was fully spent and swollen, leaking a mixture of blood and the seed of another. She lay on the ground almost lifeless, but soon with intensely labored breathing, that Byleth attempted crawling to escape her situation. The tip of a large, crescent-shaped spear landed on her back to stop her advance, poking lightly but soon digging into her skin. The lance was connected to a large, towering figure that now loomed over her limp body, all clad in thick black armor and a long, imposing blue cape lined with dirty fur. “You stay put, my cock-warmer,” growled the feral prince. “You are mine. _Only mine._ ”

Claude blinked multiple times in shock, mouth ajar as his vision flashed between the past and present Byleth. He took a couple of steps back, realizing that his most dreaded memory—the dark and painful moment that he had been trying so carefully to prevent in this world—had almost transpired… under his own hand. He had tried so hard to forget and start fresh, and yet his subconscious had inversely directed him towards the same event, even saying those exact, filthy last words of the mad prince. 

He pulled his hair in agony of his mistake, then quickly turned around to run for the door. This time, it would be him to run and leave the other behind, enough to want to return to his world and never come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers,   
> I always knew where I was going to take this fic and admittedly, it wasn't going to be all plain smut. I personally do not like angry/jealous/feral Claude (actually, maybe who does?), but it was time to deal with bigger issues to progress the story.   
> I've gotten some feedback on the original version of this chapter, and without dragging this on for too long or adding more complexity to these notes, I've decided to revise. I gave it a lot of thought, and over the past few days I just wrote and revised all day long. I'll say this now--I don't intend for the story to be purely comedic fluff and smut all throughout. It will return, but for now, Claude and By have to go through some road bumps.   
> Yes it makes me sad too, but the best of relationships always triumph through the darkest of times. :)


	7. First Tear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Claude goes missing, a distressed Byleth finds a way to manage her deepest emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back! I'd just like to remind those who have stayed on to read the fic (thank you so much!!) that the previous chapter has been rewritten (2-3 days prior to this new one). In case you haven't read the revised version of that--and you should be able to decipher the change if you've read the original--, please do so before Chapter 7 so that there's more context!
> 
> All things said, let this rollercoaster chapter commence!

Byleth rode her horse like there was no tomorrow. 

She had only learned to ride here in Askr, but riding classes were the least of her priorities. She rode to the best of her ability with the fastest steed she could borrow from the army, and made her way through forests, hills, and rocky terrain, on a path opposite from the rest of the Order. 

She was off to find Claude.

It had been almost a week since he disappeared from their fort... and from the unfortunate incident that left Byleth speechless and downright confused. Until today, she couldn’t figure out what caused him to be so rough with her. Sure, they had rough sex before... and he was groping in almost the same fashion that he first touched her at the lake many moons ago. But that night in the war room, Byleth met a different Claude—one that was imposing, full of rage, and was about to do something regrettable if she had not found an opening to stop his lustful wrath. 

She hadn’t really wished to hurt him; Byleth had just learned how to produce a basic fire spell and she wasn’t sure if it would even materialize. And yet she had blasted him off her back, burning a huge gash across his chest in the process. It was a defensive reflex, and some part of Byleth regretted how strong she must have pushed him away, considering that she was still utterly confused at what _or_ how to feel. 

There were moments during that night that she felt pleasure, but it was going down south too quickly. He wasn’t listening to her, and he kept going on and on about Dimitri, not allowing her to be with him. She found that irrational and confusing at first, but then figured that her preoccupation with her student might have been the cause. She realized she wasn’t present for her lover, which could have rubbed him the wrong way despite how she was all over him some weeks prior. It was simply her wakeup call that she had been neglecting her duties, but she knew her mistake in avoiding him. 

But Claude was still… too different, and in the heat of the moment she worried about getting hurt. He was rough with his touch, and he tore her clothes, and although he had not done the act, Byleth did not want to be loved that way.

And yet she also caught a tinge of hurt in Claude’s eyes, despite his wild actions. It was a brief moment of vulnerability when she had yanked him off her chest—a moment that had almost felt good, except for the rough bite at the end of it. She recognized pain, longing, and regret—something she had seen once in her father’s eyes. And after their little fire tussle, Claude had run off with a face more frightened than hers. Byleth had tried following after him then, but he and his signature albino wyvern were nowhere to be found. He had disappeared into the wind quite literally, likely flying away into the darkness of the night. 

Worry had been eating at her the whole week and she could tell no one of the incident. Then the Order decided to leave the fort and finally continue their advance, but Byleth rejected leaving without him. She promised to find the Almyran King herself and regroup later on. It was a difficult decision to make, just one among many others. She didn’t even know if it was wrong of her to feel pity and distress over Claude. 

But one thing was for sure—she had to find him and get her answers. 

\----------------

“Hey Nagi, just a little longer, okay?” Byleth rubbed the side of her black horse as they trudged through a small patch of forest. She had decided to name it after Claude’s wyvern, Nagini, childishly thinking it would bring her closer to finding him. “Let’s hope he’s in the next town.”

It had been three days since she started her search, already going through multiple villages and asking about a unique white wyvern that might have flown by. Nothing had come up, and Byleth couldn’t stay too long in one place to inquire further. She had to remind herself that she was in Emblan territory, _alone_. It was a risk, but she knew she had to find and confront Claude by herself. 

An arrow zoomed by, interrupting her thoughts, and just dangerously missing her shoulder. Byleth looked ahead for the source and spotted a small group of ruffians making their way in an attempted ambush. Behind her were three others, and although Byleth was trapped, she quickly alighted her steed, waiting for the right moment for them to crowd closer. 

Once they reached her space, Byleth unsheathed her sword, extending it like a whip with a powerful flick of her wrist, snapping the blade in a semi-circle across the rogues. Each were hit with her extended blade, but they surprisingly got back up quickly and continued to charge at her position.

Byleth channeled her power to the sword. When the orb glowed its mighty red, she unleashed glowing strikes towards the bewildered ruffians. She disarmed their axes, then proceeded to slash at the still charging foes with their bare fists. In a minute Byleth defeated them without much effort, all but one of them down for the count. The last ruffian was quietly crawling to escape, but Byleth caught on to him and grabbed him by his collar. 

“Who sent you?” she growled, glaring at the frightened man.

“The E-emblan army! I’m sorry Miss, we were just given coin!!” the man divulged quite quickly, fearing Byleth’s sword that was poking his neck. He gulped and pleaded further. “I’ll keep quiet, I promise!!! Just… p-please don’t kill me with that glowing sword! I’ve had it with glowing red weapons like that damn bow!”

Byleth’s eyes widened at his random confession. If he was telling the truth, he would be describing Failnaught, Claude’s human-sized bow that was definitely hard to miss. He seemed to be truly in fear of her relic, and the threat of death made him more pliant. She poked the tip of her sword a little closer to his flesh. “What glowing red bow?” she asked. “Who wields it?”

“That brown-skinned fucker! Curses to your red, magic weapons…why’d you all have to cheat like—”

“ _Where_ is this brown-skinned fucker that you’re talking about? Speak now or your throat gets sliced.”

“T-t-the next town!! Just o-over the river!”

Although she knew never to trust barbarians, Byleth couldn’t pass up on her best and only lead thus far. She knocked the man out with a blow to the head, tied him up and collected her steed. She rode fiercely ahead, hurrying through the forest as the sun had started to set. She reached the river, a low stream that she successfully crossed and waded through with her horse, then rushed once more towards distant but dim lights in the horizon. 

It didn’t take long for night to fall, and luckily Byleth had reached the promised town without further trouble. She found an isolated stable to let Nagi rest at, paid the stableman, then proceeded to search the town. Keeping cautious, she raised her hood over her head and moved swiftly through the crowds of the town’s apparently bustling streets. Everyone was out and about, littering the cobblestone pathways with excitable chatter of what Byleth picked up as a festival of sorts. Open stores and pubs lit up the town, and Byleth was treated to delightful street music and enticing smells of barbeques and sweets. The lively crowd and atmosphere were making it difficult for Byleth to progress in her search, and her being hungry, cold, and exhausted were not helping either. 

Byleth had been walking throughout the town for hours, only able to swipe a hot bun from an outdoor diner for her own nourishment. She had no funds to spare lest she wanted to sleep in the stables tonight, as she made the decision to retire from her search and find an affordable inn. 

She reached a quieter street, ways further from the epicenter of the celebration. Byleth spotted the lonesome sign of “The Naughtingham Inn” and chuckled to herself at the uncanny but unlikely connection to Claude’s bow. She was resigning to the fact that she wasn’t going to find him tonight anyway, but perhaps for some laughs she could stay at that place. She made her way towards the dimly lit establishment, still shaking her head in amusement of the title. Claude would’ve found it funny—probably even renamed it “Naughty Ham” for giggles. Byleth imagined how he would’ve laughed about it for ages, even hearing such laughter in her head so …vividly.

_Wait a minute._

Byleth stopped right by the front of the inn as she discovered the source of the recognizable laughter, which was not from her head at all. It came from the open windows of the inn, and as she was about to step forward, the doors swung open violently, together with a man who was thrown out into the street. Hunched over the ground, he attempted to prop himself up, albeit lacking some stability. Byleth wanted to help, but froze when he finally straightened, revealing his chocolate hair, verdant eyes, and unmistakably unique skin color. 

“Goddess, that was harsh…” he whispered under his breath, slightly slurring and chuckling at the same time. When he noticed the woman standing across him, he stiffened in place too, blinking rapidly in disbelief. 

“By…leth…?” Claude spoke slowly. The professor in question was equally speechless at the sight of the man she had almost lost hope of finding. She was in awe of the change in his visage—he looked thinner, cheeks visibly a bit sunken despite having grown a thicker beard, likely left untrimmed for days. He had circles under his dark eyes, still green but not as vibrant and full of zest. He had a few cuts across his face, and his worn shirt was stained light yellow around the neckline. As soon as she was about to speak his name, a bottle came flying through the open door, smashing against the side of Claude’s head in a direct hit. It knocked him sideways, enough to send him back down with blood flowing from his temple.

Two large brutes came out from the door, fuming mad. “You little piece of cheating shit! Give us back our money!” one growled, ready to strike again with a similar bottle in his grip. The other brute grabbed Claude by the collar, lifting him up off the ground. “How dare you play us brothers?!”

One of the brutes had broken the bottle in half, revealing the sharp, jagged edge that was ready to pierce Claude’s side. Byleth’s adrenaline shot through, and she released a fire spell towards the gangsters, knocking them backward together with Claude. It wasn’t enough to really incinerate, but it was successful in releasing their clutch of him.

The brothers stood immediately, shaking off the impact from Byleth’s spell. Despite their drunken state, they were sturdier than she had expected, and thus the professor unsheathed her sword and prepared for their charge. She would hit each with the backside of her sword, inflicting good blows without the intent to kill. One of the brutes’ fists was able to grab her shoulder, allowing the other brother to land a rough jab by her chin. She evaded enough to hinder a fully broken jaw, but Byleth still sustained a bruise. 

A bottle came flying from across the courtyard, hitting one of the brothers on the back of his head. Claude was equally intoxicated, almost tripping over as he found more bottles to throw at the enemy. But Byleth welcomed the distraction, allowing her to focus on one brother first as the other angrily charged for the Almyran. When Byleth finished knocking out her respective brute, she headed for the struggling Claude, whose neck was captured in a chokehold. Byleth ran over, kicking the enemy away and down to the ground. She hovered her foot above his neck, ready to press down at any moment. 

“What does he owe you?”

The brute yielded with the threat to his windpipe, and choked out a number that Byleth was happy to hear. It was a lot, but she had enough in her coin bag to give away. She dropped the bag on his face and bade him to leave, then walked over to the weakened Claude, massaging his neck from the earlier tryst. 

“A-are you…o-okay, By?” he choked, trying his best to show concern despite the huge strangle marks around his neck. He looked like he was ready to pass out.

“You’re worse off,” she replied, then slung his arm around her shoulder. Byleth walked him over to the still-open doors of the inn, struggling with the weight of his heavy frame. She reached the landlady by the counter, a wrinkly old woman who scoffed at Claude’s sorry appearance and didn’t seem fazed by the brawl outside her establishment. Byleth was readying her coin purse to ask for a room, but the woman motioned towards the staircase instead. 

“He already has one,” she sneered angrily, and Byleth turned for the stairs. “But if you’re staying, you owe me an additional ten in the morning!”

\----------------

Claude woke feeling the strain on his neck. When he blinked his eyes open, he was met with Byleth’s face right in front of his, her eyes locked at a spot above his own. Before he could speak, he jolted forward from the sensation of a burning sting, effectively causing their foreheads to collide. Byleth was knocked back slightly, and she massaged her forehead where hers met his. 

“What was that for? I was just cleaning your wound…” she spoke, nose wrinkling in annoyance. 

Claude quickly remembered the night’s earlier events, albeit still a jumbled mess from all his drinking. He remembered gambling, winning then sorely losing, bottles flying and blood on the side of his head. Then of course, the embarrassing struggle with two dimwits, and how his sorry ass was saved by the love of his life, the woman he never thought he’d see again, miraculously appearing out of thin air. And now here she was by his bedside, in a crummy goddess-knows-where rest house, with a blood-stained towel in her hand that had been healing him while he was passed out. Was this even real? Perhaps his concussion was deeper than he realized.

“S-sorry…” Claude whispered under his breath. “Let me do it instead.”

Byleth sighed with her eyes closed, then continued to dress his head wound. “It’s fine. You won’t be able to see it anyway.”

The Almyran shut his mouth and allowed her to continue. He watched her work in the silence of the dark room, quietly prodding at the gash on his forehead to rid of dirt, sweat and blood. There was just enough moonlight filtering in from the window to illuminate her face, allowing Claude to stare in awe at her gorgeous features. She looked even more beautiful than he last saw her, which was not very long ago. And yet here he was, Drunk and Sorry King of Almyra, looking and smelling like shit in front of his goddess. 

Byleth finished bandaging his head, but as if reading his mind, she scrunched her nose and gave him a look-down. “Claude, perhaps we should get you changed,” she spoke, reaching for a new towel beside them. “You have puke all over you.”

Claude coughed in embarrassment, then immediately complied. He raised his arms to lift his shirt off, then heard Byleth gasp at the sight of his bare flesh.

Claude’s body was full of angry blue bruises and fresh wounds, some just about to scar while others had reopened and were bleeding. Claude bit his lip, trying to shift away and hide his deformed body. He was in pain, but it was more painful to see Byleth with what he feared would be enough to turn her away. And yet the professor was always full of surprises. She reached ever so slowly for his flesh, cautious but determined to be more acquainted with his physical pain. 

Starting from his stomach, she trailed her fingers lightly across a long pink scar, which Claude remembered as his most recent scuffle in the last town’s bar. She moved upwards by his lower ribs, the area covered in black and blue, sustaining kicks from rogues some three days ago. She gently touched his left arm which had a deep gash on his upper bicep, one that had not yet healed. It was a tryst with some Emblan fliers where he had to pull an arrow from his arm, only using his flask of whiskey to clean the wound. And finally, when she landed on his chest, feeling half of the still-red burn mark she herself had imprinted on his skin, Byleth immediately withdrew her thin fingers, and she too looked away. 

There. She was now going to remember all that he did to her. She was going to leave him and never come back. Or finish the job and burn a deeper hole through him with her magic. Claude was prepared for it. He had wanted to kill himself when he ran away, yet he also took the coward’s route by destroying his liver, prolonging the agony. She stood from the bed, moving towards a nearby table where her sword was parked. He closed his eyes in acceptance, ready to feel its spine-like blades crush every inch of his body as payment due for his misgivings. And yet when Byleth returned, what met his skin was soft gauze, gently being wrapped around his abdomen.

Claude blinked his weary eyes open in surprise. Byleth was quietly dressing his wounds, applying wet healing herbs on the worse areas before bandaging them. She had used her fire magic on a nearby candle, giving her light to work more carefully on his beaten body. And stunned as he was, he let her, unable to resist her gentle and healing touch. 

In that moment of silence, Claude felt the familiar warmth of her presence. The simplicity of just being near her again, undeserving as he may be, was enough to pull him from the past few days’ worth of pitiful intoxication. He watched as she worked her way finally to his burn mark. He saw her hesitate at first, displaying a pained look on her face. But she proceeded to apply the herbs all the same, pressing gently on the broad expanse of his chest. Claude was still stunned from her actions, but in his quiet observations he noticed a mark along her left jawline. It was a light scratch, but the area was getting swollen, and Claude surmised it was from tonight’s brawl. 

“By, you’re hurt…” Claude tried reaching for her chin, but the woman flinched away. She stared back at him with some fright, and withdrew a few inches from his immediate space.

That was Claude’s wakeup call. His mind was now wholly aware, which was both a blessing and a curse—sober from the present darkness, but fully remembering his past yet recent mistakes. It was clear to him that he allowed this charade to drag on too long. Both were obviously struggling to find reason to be together.

“You need to get away from me, Byleth,” he began, standing from the bed to physically distance himself from her. “You’ll only get hurt because of me.”

“This is just a scratch, Claude. You know I’ve taken worse hits than this.” Byleth scoffed, also standing to close the gap between them. Bandage in hand, she reached for his arm to continue her binding.

Claude knocked her away, effectively pushing her back down on the bed. She landed softly, but the gesture hopefully impacted the same way. “You know what I mean! I hurt you that night. And I… I… I don’t think I can take it if you get hurt any worse than what I’ve already done to you.” He was stepping back, body finding the farthest distance away from Byleth. He couldn’t bear to be in her space, realizing that at any moment his dark memories would retrigger, and he would do the unthinkable. 

“You’re mistaken, Claude,” she replied a few breaths later, voice quivering yet tone full of conviction. “You hurt me more when you left.”

Claude lost control of his legs. The weight of Byleth’s words caused him to slide downwards in defeat, back dragging along the wall he was leaning against. Byleth was visibly struggling as well, but she had countered with a shocking response, confusing his expectations. They stayed staring at each other for a short while before Claude broke the silence.

“…Then why did you come to find me, Byleth?”

The professor bit her quivering lip, preventing herself from answering too quickly. In truth she was still downright confused, and her answer reflected such. “I… don’t know.” It was all she could reply before finally giving in to a tear and a sarcastic chuckle. “Yeah, should I even be here? Why am I even helping you, right?”

She was laughing and crying at the same time, looking up at the ceiling to both find answers and stop her tears from falling. Claude was only stunned, in most part at her sudden outpour of emotion. In the same way that her emotions were new to him, they were probably overwhelming her too, and he wanted so badly to hold her in his arms and console her. Yet he stayed slumped on the ground, immobilized and confused at how to approach. 

“The Order of Heroes were going to leave. No one knew where you were, and we didn’t know if you’d return…And now I don’t know if it was foolish for me to stay behind and look for you.”

“Do you regret coming here then? After what I did to you… you should’ve just left me to rot and die alone. Maybe it’s for the best—”

“Enough Claude!” Byleth snapped in frustration of his self-pity. “Don’t you get it? You hurt me and I could’ve left you alone. And yet I came to look for you because I…I...” Byleth broke once again, a stream of tears falling from each of her big blue eyes, unable to finish her sentence from all the emotion. Her gaze was transfixed on the speechless Claude.

“There’s still a lot of things I want to know about you,” she started again once she could regain a steady voice. “You know everything about my past and my future, or at least what happened in your world. But I don’t know anything about you, Claude. I’m still curious about you, and I’m learning more about you each day.”

“And that’s why I want to understand why you did that to me. Yes, I was hurt. I’m unhappy and anxious. But I know that’s not really you. Even if you’re from a different world, I know that the two Claudes that I’ve met in my life are good people.”

Byleth stood from the bed and approached him, kneeling to meet his level. She gently placed a hand on his clenched fist. “I want to know, Claude. Was it because of me? I’m sorry if I wasn’t attentive... I wasn’t being good to you…”

Claude gripped her hand in response, assuring her of innocence. “Of course not, Byleth! You have been so perfect! So good, kind and warm…”

“Then what is it? Tell me please—what made you that way?” She had let go of his hand in frustration, eyes about to break another tear if she wasn’t going to get her answers. Claude sighed deeply and prepared himself. He searched the depths of his mind to pull both his most treasured and fearsome memories.

He began by telling her of the first time they were acquainted at Garreg Mach Monastery, when his Byleth had become the school’s new professor. Similar to young Byleth’s world, they had decided to teach the Blue Lions, to Claude’s massive disappointment. Yet he became her first friend…and soon something more. They were in love, and she was about to give him an answer when he asked Byleth to return to the Alliance with him after his graduation.

Unfortunately, the war had broken out. Claude revealed about Edelgard and her intentions to take over with the Empire, but cautioned Byleth that it may or may not happen in her world. Regardless, Claude gathers up the strength to tell her about her disappearance, everyone thinking of her dead.

Five years later, on the promised day of the Millennium Festival, he took a gamble to find her at the Goddess Tower, to see if she would reappear. He became both ecstatic and disappointed upon seeing her alive, but in the presence of a much older and war-torn Dimitri, known across the land as a vengeful murderer. Claude decided not to intervene just yet, wanting to stay cautious and play the field, an action which he would soon regret given the zero chances he could actually meet the newly awakened Byleth. He would send mountains of letters to Garreg Mach to meet with her, all of which were left unanswered. 

He then mustered up the courage to visit the Monastery when he heard of the Empire’s initial attack, led by General Rudolph. He arrived late, seeing the battleground full of burning dead bodies, the General’s upon them with his throat freshly sliced. The battle was won, but the rest were still in fray, and he frantically searched for Byleth throughout the burning town, wanting to know if she had fared well. He finally trailed her to an abandoned warehouse, but the sight of Byleth there would be the memory he wished he’d never acquired.

“When I found you, you were limp on the floor, clothes ripped and body exposed and full of bruises. I could only hide behind a corner, as that mad prince was lurking and hovering over you.” Claude paused for a moment, remembering the scene in his head, and his voice hitched as he continued his story. 

“Dimitri—he…he touched you… _abused_ you. His face was full of bloodlust and it seemed as if he had taken his anger out on you. I overheard him say that he would _‘use you and your friends until the flesh falls from your bones’_ , and true enough, he had defiled your body and your soul…”

It was difficult to maintain eye contact any further, thus Claude resigned with his head hung low, both hands frantically combing through his hair. “And the worst part of it all—I was a coward, Byleth! I-I couldn’t move… I was stunned… Instead of defending you, I fucking ran away…!”

“And now my most painful memory has just… repeated itself. I was drunk, but fuck, that’s not an excuse. What I did to you… with my own hands… My darkness took over me because I wanted you so badly that it hurt… it pained me to see you with your Dimitri, since there was always going to be a possibility that he’d turn for the worse. But I know that was wrong, and I was so foolish for losing control. I hurt you Byleth… I am so sorry for mistreating you. I left… because I didn’t know what to fucking do. How could I face you after laying a hand on you, not giving you the love that you deserved? I’m sorry, I’m sorry—"

Claude was cut off when Byleth suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace. Her arms locked him in close, her small but warm hand caressing the back of his head. Claude froze at the gesture, not expecting what she would say next. 

“Claude, it’s okay…” she whispered, voice trembling as well. “I understand...and I forgive you.”

Claude’s eyes widened in disbelief with her words. Was he hearing her right? Was he still inebriated, causing his eyes and ears to play tricks on him? But he couldn’t rationalize any further. He had been yearning for her soothing touch, and although he knew to be undeserving of her presence, he gave in to it anyway. He slowly raised his hand to return her embrace, pulling her even closer and holding on tightly, afraid to let go of her warmth. And when she returned the embrace even further, he couldn’t control shedding his first tear. 

After a long, quiet moment they loosened their grip on each other, but Byleth continued her gentle strokes on the back of his head. “I don’t have feelings for Dimitri… and yet I’m also still confused about what I feel for you,” she said softly, looking straight into his watery eyes. 

“But I know that for the first time in my life, I feel all sorts of things…and that’s all because of you. You make me excited. You make the hairs on my back stand. And… you make me happy. I guess that’s why I came to find you, Claude. I want to be with you.”

Claude still couldn’t believe his ears. He gazed deeply into her eyes, searching for any possibility of lies or exaggeration. But Byleth was genuinely smiling back at him, and that only made him melt. He whispered her name under his breath, and he moved slowly to press their bodies closer, until he was able to kiss her with utmost desire.

It didn’t take long for Byleth to kiss back, equally melting under his touch. He was kissing her slowly but passionately, which was in equal parts heartfelt and all-consuming, taking her breath away. She had not realized how much she missed his mouth on hers, and given the circumstances, the kiss meant so much more to them both. She could feel his emotions through his kisses; Claude was desperately begging for forgiveness and making up for the days gone by without each other’s comfort. 

He cradled her head in his hands, bringing them closer. Soon Claude broke away from her mouth and moved to her jawline. He pressed a couple of gentle kisses by her chin, returning the favor to heal and soothe the small wound that she had sustained for him. Then he continued down to her neck, finding his favorite nook of her soft, sweet flesh. He graduated his kisses to licks, hitting all her sweet spots while a free hand travelled to the side of her chest. 

Byleth was feeling all of the familiar sensations that she had missed so dearly. And yet, when she felt his appetite increase, hands starting to roam her sides and her hips, a fog had cleared from her mind. She forced her eyes open despite his loving touch, and pressed her hands against his chest, pushing him away gently. “Claude, I-I can’t…”

The Almyran blinked once or twice from the forced distance, but then he, too, awoke from his daze and gasped. “By… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—I shouldn’t have—"

Byleth just smiled back. “No Claude, it’s fine. But right now… I don’t think I can do _that_ yet.” She bit her lip and looked away. “I’m sorry… Maybe we should start over? Start fresh…and just get to know each other more… or all over again, you know?”

The professor shifted off from his lap and stood. She reached for her satchel and her sword, still not making eye contact. “Actually, you could use some rest… and more bandages. Let me go check with the innkeeper if she has some…” Byleth trailed in her speech as she headed for the door, pulling her cloak on at the same time. “You just rest on the bed, okay? Sleep if you have to. Don’t wait for me…”

She exited swiftly, leaving a bewildered Claude back in the room. She held onto the doorknob to keep it closed in case Claude decided to run after her. But she heard no sound, no footsteps or moving of furniture. When the coast was clear, Byleth felt her legs give way, and she dropped to the floor quietly, but in shock. She covered her mouth with her hands, baffled at her own actions. She hadn’t even been sure of the words that came out of her mouth, but she knew things had to be different. From now on, she had to learn to trust and be comfortable with him once again…

But that was just half the reason.

Because for the first time in her life, after so many years of thinking she was a useless non-human, and just with the touch of someone that made her feel special… 

…Byleth had finally felt her heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that was the most emotional writing I've ever done. *__* (And here I was thinking I could only write smut! Ha!) Again, I'd just like to remind that it was high time for me to progress the story and deepen their relationship. But do not despair-- smut will be back soon. :) Let's wait and see what Claude will do next, shall we?
> 
> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to some of the friends and readers I've met in the past week. You guys have given me so much help, feedback, and encouragement to push through... and that really gave me a lot of fighting spirit. :) I'm sorry if I couldn't reply to all the comments; I really wish there was a direct messaging feature here in AO3. But please know your comments meant so much to me and gave me a new perspective. Thank you-- you guys know who you are (also, i don't know how to tag here...) 
> 
> As always, comments on this chapter will be much appreciated! If you want to bounce off ideas with me on Twitter, or just see some of my NSFW and SFW retweets, catch me at @smoothpeachbutt


	8. First Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude and Byleth team up to retrieve a lost item, rekindling their relationship in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: It's 2021, meaning there's lots of ~~smut~~ fluff. :)

Claude blinked his eyes open as the first rays of sunlight hit his face, awakening him from a not so comfortable slumber. He arched his back to stretch, scrunching his face as he tried to loosen his tight muscles. He was sore all over, not just from his multiple wounds and bruises, but primarily from the hard, wooden chair he had fallen asleep on. Looking over to the simple bed across him, Claude then spotted a quiet Byleth, still peacefully sleeping. 

The Almyran quickly recounted last night’s events as his mind came to. After much emotional confession, his beloved professor had forgiven him, but only to push him away as soon as they reunited. She became hesitant, although she had every right to be. He knew about her excuse to supposedly find “bandages” when they parted, and Claude only had to wait half an hour until he found her sleeping outside their door. He laid the exhausted professor on the bed, and as much as he wanted to hold her and feel her warmth against his, Claude restrained himself and settled for the chair instead, knowing full well the new limits of their relationship. Byleth had wanted a restart, and as penance for his actions, Claude would undoubtedly have to honor her request. He needed to get his act together… and that meant starting with his face. 

Claude rubbed his overgrown beard and sighed in annoyance. He stood quietly and retrieved a small blade from his pocket. Lacking a mirror in the room, Claude worriedly settled for the single window instead. It was difficult enough to find even the slightest reflection through the window, and even worse when it wouldn’t reveal enough of his jawline. He tried his best to shave the thicker parts first, but soon ended up nipping a part of his chin in the process.

As Claude yelped, he didn’t notice the woman in the bed shifting from her position, similarly waking from her sleep. She gave a silent yawn, then spoke upon seeing familiar, broad shoulders. “Claude, do you need help with that?”

The man in question turned around, eyes wide at seeing Byleth awake as she sauntered over to him. Then he remembered his little mishap, a hand at his chin where it had started to bleed. Byleth spotted this too, and looked at him with much concern. “You’ve hurt yourself, Claude. Let me help you.”

Claude chuckled in embarrassment and frustration, wanting so very bad to be presentable for her, and yet she had awoken prematurely to see him unable to shave his own face. “It’s okay, I can do this my—”

Byleth cut him off by taking the blade and pushing him to sit on the chair. She reached for the bowl of water on the nearby table and dipped the blade in it. “You can’t see yourself clearly in the mirror, Claude. But I can see you perfectly,” she said quietly, starting with a light scrape on his left side. When she cupped his chin to angle his face, Claude pressed his hand against her own. 

“By, about last night…” Claude started, staring into her big blue orbs, afraid of what either of them could say. “I’m sorry for being rash… I shouldn’t have—”

Byleth put a finger to his lips. “It’s okay, Claude. L-let’s just forget about it for now…” She was visibly struggling with her response, smiling back at him weakly and trying to sound confident. “Let’s get this bush off you first. Or do you not trust me?”

She held the knife closer to his throat playfully, this time smiling with a wide, slightly forced grin. Claude knew she was trying her best to move on with their lives, shrugging off the painful memories for them both. She was pushing past her discomfort, and he needed to do the same. 

“Not when you’re this close to my lifeline, Teach. Perhaps you won’t even realize you’d slice my skin under all of my luscious curls.”

Byleth chuckled at his jest, and slowly the heaviness in Claude’s heart was starting to unload. He watched her quietly as she continued working on his jawline, efficient yet careful with her strokes. It was in this quiet moment that Claude had a chance to actually take in her beauty, something he never really did before, always just assuming she was simply gorgeous. But with the sunshine illuminating her features, he took the time to commit everything to memory—her wide doe eyes, glowing, fresh skin, and thin, soft, kissable lips which made his heart flutter every time she bit them so adorably. Damn, was she really this beautiful? 

Soon Byleth put down the blade and looked away sheepishly. “There… you’re all done.”

Claude stood to check himself in the window. “Wow Teach, who knew you were such a pro?” He beamed in satisfaction, rubbing along his jawline to feel his new, well-trimmed beard, while Byleth continued to look away in embarrassment from the praise. 

“I just trimmed it like how it was before, Claude…”

“And yet you make me feel like a brand new man,” the Almyran replied, turning to Byleth and pulling her close for a hug. “Thank you, By.”

It was a simple gesture for Claude, but a whole different experience for Byleth—a softer, sweeter contrast from the usual way they would touch… and yet it made her stomach flutter all the same. Byleth blushed deeply once again and contemplated returning the embrace for a few quiet moments. Instead, she reached for his arms and pulled away gently, hoping he wouldn’t take her non-reciprocation negatively.

Byleth changed the topic again, this time with a more practical approach. “We should start heading back to the Order. If we leave now on your wyvern, we’d probably find them by nightfall.”

Claude stiffened at the mention of his companion, or rather, his ex-companion. He let go of Byleth and scratched the back of his head nervously. “Hehe, well uh, you see… we have a little problem,” he started. “Nagini’s… not with me right now…”

Byleth tilted her head to the side in confusion. “Well, you know how this past week was really rough for me, right? The drinking here and there… lost some of my money along the way…”

“Get to the point, Claude. Where’s Nagini?”

“Hehe… You see, I was really drunk one evening—and we can just laugh about this tomorrow—but I kind of... lost her in a bet.”

Byleth’s jaw dropped and her wide eyes grew even wider at the revelation. “You did what??”

“I was trying to win her back in a gamble with the goons we fought last night, but I guess we ended up giving them even more with your coin bag…”

“You lost your wyvern to those two??”

“Not them directly, rather their boss—a big gangster who rules these parts. He has a mansion in the outskirts of town. He also has something precious to me, which he stole in the bar fight that ensued right after I lost that bet…”

“We obviously need to get her back,” Byleth hastily replied, turning for the door to initiate their search. 

“H-hold on, Teach. We can’t just barge in there,” he said as he laughed nervously. “I _do_ have a plan B to enter though, and that has to happen tonight.”

Claude assumed a more confident stance as he started to divulge his little scheme, trying to brush off the fact that they were in this mess because of his previous blunders. 

“A ball is happening tonight and that’ll be our chance to infiltrate. However, this is where it takes two to tango: our entrance ticket is a tribute of a fair maiden, and that’s how we get an audience.”

The two were quiet for a while, more so Byleth who gave him a deadpan stare. Claude wasn’t sure if he had just offended her with his scheme, and yet soon after, she smirked. “Okay. Time to find _you_ some ‘fair maiden’ costume then?”

\--------------------------

Claude groaned deeply, ensuring he drew out every sound from his gut so that the giggling ladies outside of the dressing room could hear his tantrum. 

“Come on, Claude, we’re wasting time. Let’s see that dress.”

“Byleth, this is embarrassing.” Claude stepped out to the waiting area of the costume shop, where Byleth and the two female shopkeepers continued their snickering, the former trying to keep a stern face while directing her partner to flaunt his frock. Claude’s thick biceps were threatening to rip through the sleeves, the rest of his body stretching the dress’s fabric in different places. But he twirled and pranced all the same, faking a smile and curtseying to give the ladies the show they wanted. Why did he even agree to this?

“There, are you happy now?” He rolled his eyes as they clapped in amusement. “You cannot be seriously considering trading roles, By.”

“The yellow looks good on your skin though… and that bodice really accentuates your chest. I’m sure the lords will love it. Miss, can we get the bill please?”

“By?! Are you serious??” Claude freaked, eyes widening as Byleth prepped to take out her coin purse. 

Byleth halted her acting and burst out a laugh. It was a full and hearty one, where she hugged her stomach in pure delight. Despite the embarrassment, Claude was more enamored by the way she was sincerely having a good time, her face lighting up in laughter from her little prank. He realized he had never seen this much pure joy from Byleth, and if he wasn’t in a tight dress, he’d lunge forward to capture her bliss in a kiss, or tease by attacking her with tickles just to draw out more happiness. 

“Alright, Teach. It’s _your_ turn to wear this gown.”

“Not after you’ve stretched it so,” Byleth replied, still trying to collect herself from her robust laughter. She stood and walked towards another changing room. “I’ve already picked out one… while you were struggling to fit into yours, _my lady._ ”

“Ha-ha, Teach. I think I’ve been punished enough with your little costume show.” Claude rolled his eyes as Byleth stepped into her own closet. The shop assistants helped remove Claude’s tight dress, then offered a white and gold coat for him to wear as a more appropriate costume. He fixed himself in front of a mirror, checking out the more stately-looking attire which raised his confidence. “Then again, if you really wanted to switch roles, I think my dashing, good looks can pass off as being girly and…”

Claude stopped his sentence as Byleth stepped out of the dressing room, earning gasps from the lady shopkeepers. 

Byleth donned a white off-shoulder gown, trimmed with gold brocade patchwork around the dress’s skirt. It was gorgeously well-fit on her small frame, as if it was customized just for her body. However, it also showed just the right amount of skin, sending Claude’s mind in a frenzy. It had a sweetheart neckline that showed off ample cleavage for her well-endowed chest. The sides were held up with lace-up strings—tied in such a way that still showed skin—, accentuating her tiny waist. A high slit ran along her right side, and her bare leg would peak through as she moved meekly towards her partner.

In all his awestruck shock, Claude was left with just one word to utter.

“... _beautiful._ ” 

He whispered under his breath, unknowingly ending _and_ directing his earlier sentence towards her, where it fit more appropriately. 

“Damn the goddess, By…” he continued, uncaring if he had committed blasphemy. Claude was left speechless as he circled around Byleth, gazing upon her radiance in her gown. 

Byleth blushed and froze in place, suddenly feeling embarrassed and unsure if Claude liked her outfit or not. She covered her chest with her arms and took a step back. “P-perhaps I should change… I don’t think this dress is for me…”

“Nonsense, By!” Claude lightly grabbed her wrist, preventing her from returning to change. “You are…simply… stunning. Perfect.” Both of them blushed, unsure on how to proceed. 

As if on cue, some string music filtered through the open windows of the shop, likely from some bard playing in the streets. Claude took the opportunity to cut the awkward silence between them and flashed his biggest smile. With some courage, he bowed and offered his hand towards the professor. “Teach, would you honor me a dance?”

The professor blushed again, speechless herself at how to react. This wasn’t the first time Claude would gaze at her so deeply; they’d seen each other naked before and even done… more sensual things in broad daylight. And yet she felt the same throbbing pangs in her chest from last night, unaware of what to really do with these sensations. But if one thing was certain, she couldn’t say no to experiencing things with Claude, even if she had two left feet. 

Byleth took his palm, allowing the Almyran to gently place an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. He led the charge with a sidestep; Byleth’s body reluctantly followed. He gripped her hand to reassure her, and Byleth started to feel more comfortable as she kept her gaze locked on his verdant green orbs, allowing herself to be swept away. They continued their waltz, swaying to the rhythm of the music. They were lost in each other’s presence, not having noticed the growing number of people that flocked to the shop window to watch them. 

Claude was stunned himself at having been afforded a dance. If not for the many years of fronts and fake smiles, he wouldn’t have been able to contain himself or his palpitating heart. Byleth was beaming with excitement and joy as Claude twirled her around the shop floor. His heart soared with her display of pure emotion—her smile, laughter, and genuine happiness were infectious, and it was all Claude wanted. It wasn’t enough to just have Byleth. He now made it his mission to make her smile. 

Had it not been for the street music ending and the cheers of the crowd by the window, Claude and Byleth would have stayed lost in their moment of bliss. They broke away from each other abruptly, embarrassed from the onlookers’ whispers and swoons.

“Claude, we should go…” Byleth whispered, hiding behind him, flushed. The Almyran agreed and hurriedly left a bag of coin with the shopkeepers. He grabbed two black half-masks on the counter as they made their way out towards another exit. “We’ll take these and the costumes to-go, ladies.”

The shopkeepers grinned and bowed as they exited, hollering and waving goodbye. “We hope you and your wife enjoy the costumes, sir!”

\-------------------

Claude and Byleth rode through the woods, the latter’s horse, Nagi trotting with moderate speed out of town and towards their next target—the gang boss’s mansion. 

It had been an hour since they started their journey, Claude filling the awkward air with small talk and random topics. Byleth had become extremely flustered after their little dance earlier, and thus brought on the awkwardness by choosing to sit behind him, maintaining her original intentions for some distance. She figured it was a more conservative decision to stay at the back, and Claude agreed, albeit with some embarrassment himself. 

“So that was the second time today that we’ve been described as husband and wife?” Claude chatted up, trying to maintain some friendly normalcy. He felt Byleth nod behind him, despite her only holding onto the saddle and not around his center.

“Yes, the grumpy innkeeper asked earlier how my husband was doing with his hangover.” 

Claude laughed nervously, intentionally withholding a comment so as not to revive his sordidly embarrassing yet recent past. But the quiet turned into dead air soon enough. Byleth too realized that she’d brought upon the silence with her headless response and struggled to find something to spur on the discussion.

As if the heavens were conspiring up above, a gust of wind blew past them, strong enough to push Byleth forward against Claude’s back. Byleth yelped from the freeze, the unexpected cold permeating her skin. 

Claude halted Nagi, startled from the sudden gust as well. The pause allowed him to feel Byleth’s shivering form behind him, and he remembered how her costume bared more flesh. Another cold wind breezed by, and Claude twisted around to see her shriveling form. 

“Teach, a storm must be coming,” Claude started, also noting the overcast. “You should wear my coat.” 

Byleth shook her head, despite rubbing her shoulders for warmth. “No, it’s alright. You’ll feel cold too.” 

“But you’re shivering, By.” Claude jumped off the horse and motioned for her to move forward along the saddle. He then got back on Nagi, this time positioning himself behind her. “Let’s share this cloak then, so that we’ll be both warm.” 

Without allowing her to refute, Claude draped his coat around her, and its large size successfully engulfed both of them. Byleth blushed hard and bit her lips from the nearness. Claude effectively trapped her small frame against his body as he reached for Nagi’s reins to urge the horse forward. After gaining much-needed warmth, Byleth released her stiffness and melted against Claude’s chest, much to the Almyran’s relief. 

“Claude…” the professor spoke after some silence, still leaning on him and blushing. “Thank you for the dance earlier. It was… really nice.”

Claude’s heart swooned from her mellowness, but he had to compose himself and sound unaffected. “No problem, Teach. You were a natural dancer.”

“I’ve never danced before…”

“Really? You mean—you haven’t experienced the Millennium Ball yet back in your world?”

Byleth shook her head and looked up at him out of curiosity. 

“It’s on the eve of the Millennium Festival, held every five years at Garreg Mach. We danced that night many years ago… I believe I was your first partner.”

Claude continued to recount pleasant memories as Byleth maintained her inquisitive nature, watching him as he glowed in delight. “We controlled the dance floor then. You weren’t very good… heck, you stepped on my toes several times. But you learned quickly, and we carried on dancing outside of the ballroom… at the Goddess Tower instead.”

“We danced two, three, or probably ten times over. I fell more and more in love with each time you laughed. You were glimmering under the moonlight, and that’s when I decided to profess my feelings for you.”

Byleth gulped, but decided she wanted to hear more. “W-what happened then?”

“Well, admittedly we were both unsure and… afraid. You were my teacher, and I, your student. I had just recently become the heir to the Leicester Alliance, and you had just learned to dance.”

The two of them chuckled quietly, but Claude rested his chin on her shoulder, suddenly feeling melancholic. “But you liked me too, and that gave me hope. I wanted to run away with you then, but listening to my rational mind caught us in the thick of war instead. Huh, look where we are now… I guess I should’ve just followed my heart.”

Byleth pressed her lips together, feeling the familiar thump in her chest. They were becoming more frequent, but she brushed them off briefly to twist and face Claude, looking up at him in deep anticipation. “What does your heart want now, Claude?”

The Almyran blinked in surprise with her question, and he blushed hard from being caught off-guard. His heart and mind raced with possibilities, but there was only one thing he really wanted in life. Byleth was staring back at him with the same look of uncertain yet passionate desire, and Claude slowly lowered his head, grazing his nose against hers…

“Who goes there?” a low voice barked from a short distance ahead, and the two abruptly straightened themselves. They had unknowingly arrived at their destination, Nagi approaching the front gate guarded by a couple of goons with spears. 

Claude stopped Nagi and saluted the guards. “Greetings, good sirs. I come for tonight’s ball, which I hear is one of the best in the land!”

A buff, tall man crossed his arms, not entirely convinced of Claude’s façade. “This ball is invite-only, and I don’t recognize you.”

“Ah, my good man. I may be new to the company, but I bear a great present for the lord of the house.” Claude spread his cloak to reveal Byleth, who assumed her role as well, putting on her best smile for the goons. “I’m sure the good lord will enjoy this surprise tonight…”

The goons eyes grew wide at the sight of the beautiful Byleth, ogling at her dress which left a moderate amount of imagination. The tall man grunted, trying to hide his own flush, and motioned for the others to open the gate. Claude bowed in gratitude and pressed on inside, flashing a smirk once they were past the guards. 

“Seriously? _‘Enjoy this surprise’_?” Byleth pinched his side, annoyed with his choice of words. 

“Sorry, Teach. If you must know—I will never let that happen to you.” He rubbed her side in reassurance as they stopped by the main doors of the mansion, greeted by stable hands who offered to take their horse. Claude wrapped a mask around Byleth before putting on his own. Then the two alighted Nagi, patting her side and promising to find her later. First, they needed to figure out how to find their targets.

“How are we going to meet the gang boss? Or find your wyvern?” Byleth whispered and held his hand tightly, suddenly feeling anxious with their mission. Well-dressed butlers came to usher them through a gold and ivory hallway that ended in a gigantic double door. The butlers then opened the door to a large ballroom, similarly gilded in elaborate, shining gold and ivory furnishings. There were many guests—nobles and notables all masked in grand costumes for the gala. They were laughing, chatting, dancing, and getting lost in song and free-flowing drink. 

It was just like any grand ball except for the peculiar paintings hanging all over the room. They were gaudy artworks depicting slightly faded scenes of women circling around the foot of a man sitting on a throne. In fact, all the paintings around the ballroom were almost the same; it was consistently a bald and fat man in the center, only changing facial hair and the color of their robes. But the largest of these paintings was in the center of the room, freshly painted and featuring a younger, more robustly posed bald man. It was the focal point of the room, and the crowd directly below the painting was an exact replica of the artwork: the same bald man on a red velvet throne, surrounded by masked women languidly praising him at his feet. 

Other guests were flocking to the area as well, most of them males leading their female partners towards the bald man. He was looking at the crowd with slight disinterest, sipping on his gold chalice as he scanned each skimpily dressed woman presented to him. He would take a quick look at each, then dismiss them as fast as they’d arrived, dissatisfied.

“Well it looks like we’ve found one of our targets, Teach,” Claude whispered, motioning her to the throne area. “That’s the gang boss—that fat man who stole my wyvern…and my locket.”

Byleth followed his line of sight, spotting the bald leader and noting a shiny gold pendant around his neck. Claude was seething at the sight, clearly disgusted and insulted. Byleth pressed a hand to his chest, calming him down and bringing him back to their space. “Don’t worry Claude, we’ll get them back. But how do we approach him?”

Claude snapped back to reality. “Right. I’m sorry to have to do this, By, but this is where you shine.” He cocked his head back towards the boss’s group, and Byleth picked up his intentions. 

She bit her lips in discomfort but knew what the mission entailed. “…So I guess we split up?”

Claude nodded, gripping her hand tighter for encouragement. The partners wanted to discuss further, but their presence was gaining the attention of the other guests. Soon a masked man had approached Byleth from behind, touching her elbow. Byleth jerked away from the sudden contact.

“Feisty is she?” said the man, more impressed than insulted. Another stocky man with curly hair approached them, grinning in excitement. “And who might this young lady be? I don’t believe we’ve seen you and your beautiful… dress before.” The man smirked, obviously commenting on something other than her gown. 

Claude stepped in to both appease the nobles and progress their agenda further. “My friends, I’d like to introduce Rhea, the latest and fairest maiden in the land. We have travelled far to initiate this lovely lady in this great house’s traditions.” He presented Byleth with an outstretched hand, and the latter curtsied as part of the act. This was immediately followed by oohs, ahhs, and murmurs from the growing crowd. 

The two men and their other colleagues started approaching Byleth, surrounding and cutting her off from Claude, eager to be introduced to the beauty. Byleth looked back at her partner with some hesitation, but he reassured her with a wink, as he himself was driven away to join another group. They wanted to discuss business, noting how he seemed to be of high esteem and value. 

Claude initiated the charade with his own set of endeared guests, occasionally glancing at the other end of the room where Byleth… was doing _exceptionally well_. In the moments since their separation, she had enamored the suitors with her beauty and sultriness, chatting the men up and laughing along with them. Claude smiled seeing her so confident with herself, knowing that she was trying her best despite her awkwardness. 

“I heard Orocan wants to get into the wyvern trading business,” one of the guests said to their group, piquing Claude’s interest. A server passed by, offering them flutes of a light pink beverage, to which one of the older lads offered to Claude. Graciously, Claude toasted the noble and took a sip of the sweet drink, then pressed further on the topic. “Does the boss even have any wyverns to trade with?”

“Yes, I heard from one of my assistants that he managed to get one.”

“But how can he trade just one? What will he get out of it?” asked an elder lady. 

“Apparently it’s a rare breed. Some white, exotic beast that he caught recently. Plans to sell it off with his gunpowder to sweeten the deal with the Emblans.”

Claude grunted under his breath, but continued to inquire, sipping his drink to seem aloof and less agitated. “That sounds like a powerful wyvern. Lucky that he’s been able to control it…”

“The beast’s caged somewhere in this estate. I’m scared for my life, really, but it’s about to be sold in the morning anyway.”

Claude was about to continue the conversation when a scuffle at the other end of the room caught his attention. He spotted Byleth from afar, pressed against one of the burly men. The man had become handsy, feeling Byleth’s hips. She was struggling to get away, likely trying politely so as not to blow her cover. But Claude wouldn’t stand for it, and he sprinted towards her location.

“Get your hands off her!” he grunted, pulling the lad’s hand away and punching him down to the ground. While the crowd freaked, Byleth’s heart soared from Claude’s chivalry; she could have very well taken care of it by herself, and yet here he was, holding her and asking if she’d been hurt. She felt another beat in her chest as she gazed back into his green orbs, filled with concern and worry.

“W-what the… How dare you punch me?!” the fallen man shouted as he rubbed his bruised chin. He was ready to pounce on Claude when a looming presence broke up the crowd, hollering with a low, angry voice. 

“What’s going on back there?” growled Orocan, the mansion’s lord. He was a shorter man than expected, only up to Claude’s chest, but he commanded the room with his stocky figure and menacing tone. Orocan initially glared at the two men for interrupting his party, but immediately shifted his attention to the radiating beauty of Byleth. 

“Ah, who do we have here?” he questioned, voice regulating to a calmer and sweeter tone. He curled his fingers to motion Byleth to come forward, the latter complying with some hesitation. Orocan grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, a small, fat hand already feeling her side. Everyone’s attention was now on the boss and his new discovery, and they whispered in awe of Orocan’s more active behavior. 

“What’s your name, my darling?” Orocan asked, twirling her around as he ogled her shapely form. 

“Rhea, my lord…” 

“Such a pure and beautiful voice… making me tingle all over…” he swooned. Orocan groped her behind and whistled in satisfaction. “Yes… you’ll do quite nicely.”

Disgusted and angry, Claude moved to break them up, but Orocan shot a glare. “And who are you?” he sneered. Byleth shook her head subtly, reminding him about the plan. Claude maintained his composure despite his frustration. He set his gaze downwards, not maintaining eye contact with the boss lest he recognize the Almyran.

“…No one, my lord. Please carry on.”

“Good answer,” Orocan huffed, satisfied that his guest maintained their fealty. He grabbed Byleth’s arm and moved towards the door, having had enough of the evening. “None shall disturb me tonight!”  
His voice trailed off as he whisked her away, his guards following close behind.

As soon as the bald man had exited the ballroom, as his goons were left to deal with Claude, now deemed as a troublemaker. The man he punched earlier was also in a fighting stance, ready to grab him. With his side of the charade over, Claude was left with no choice. 

“Alright, playtime’s over,” he smirked, and raised his fists. Despite not having his bow, Claude was still adept at fist-fighting, and he soon made short work of the guards and other nobles who attempted to catch him. The crowd started dispersing, and it cleared a path for Claude to run towards another exit the minute more men came rushing in.

Claude nimbly ran through hallways, chucking vases, dropping tables and other furniture behind him to delay his attackers. Once he’d shaken them off temporarily, Claude recounted his steps, wondering where the boss could be. His priority was Byleth, but given the size of the mansion, he realized it would be faster to find his wyvern first. Claude concentrated hard to feel his bond with his wyvern, and as he made his way through passageways, the connection with Nagini grew stronger, signifying she was near.

True enough, upon reaching outside the estate, Claude spotted a large, guarded stable and immediately felt Nagini’s presence from within. The wyvern likely felt her master’s aura too and made a ruckus, shaking the whole barn. This gave Claude an opportunity to stealthily approach the entrance, as the guards entered the barn to check on the commotion. He followed them in unnoticed, and at the right moment, disabled the two men, choking one and knocking out the other. Thankfully there were none other inside, except for his majestic wyvern, chained to a wall with a muzzle on her snout, and surprisingly, their faithful horse Nagi, also restrained in one of the stalls.

“They were never going to let us out of here, huh…” Claude mumbled as he searched the room for something to break their chains with. He moved towards the left wall upon seeing a hooked, metal rod atop some barrels. But what caught his attention more were the barrels itself. Black and unmarked, Claude only needed to activate his sense of smell to determine what they were: gunpowder. Now accustomed to the darkness, his eyes scanned the entire wall, filled with rows upon rows of the same stacked barrels. “These are going to be handy soon…” Claude thought to himself, schemes running in his mind like clockwork.

The Almyran was interrupted with the sound of distant voices—guards shouting from outside and searching the area. Claude heard one notice the stable doors were unmanned, hollering for his team to approach. He immediately wrenched his horse’s chains free, rubbed her side and whispered. “Run them wild, Nagi. See you later.”

As soon as the guards’ voices were by the doors, Claude slapped Nagi’s rump and it charged forward powerfully, knocking over the small group of goons. Nagi ran out to the dirt road, where the men brainlessly followed to retrieve the steed. Claude shuffled over now to his wyvern, releasing her chains and her muzzle. 

“I know you’re angry old girl, but don’t kill me just yet, please.” Claude hushed the wyvern who was about to screech at her master for abandoning her. “We have to save Byleth first.” 

He soothed her with apologies then moved to open larger stable doors behind the wyvern. It had started to rain, but that was no matter for the pair. He jumped on her saddle and directed the charge, Nagini rushing out for lift-off. As soon as Claude and Nagini were in the air, lookouts screamed from below, some signaling for reinforcements, while others scampering for their life at the sight of a humungous white wyvern. Claude reached for a spare bow he kept secretly under her saddle and rained down arrows to his attackers. He swerved Nagini out of the way from some counter strikes, then directed her to circle the mansion to evade further. 

It was a sound decision, as the two reached a high tower with a balcony. Claude spotted a tuft of blue-green hair through the balcony’s frosted glass doors and immediately he bellowed Byleth’s name. The heavy rain drowned out his voice, and Claude panicked when he saw two figures dropping to the floor in what seemed liked a struggle. He quickly shot an arrow through the glass, breaking it for a better view. 

To his pleasant surprise, Byleth had been the attacking party, considering how Orocan was knocked out, hands and legs bound. He was half-naked, but Byleth was thankfully fully clothed, seemingly unharmed. In fact, the professor beamed in excitement upon seeing Claude. She raised a chain necklace in her hand, presenting it to him with a cheeky, accomplished smile. She had secured his stolen locket, just as she had promised. 

Guards were banging at the main door of the bedroom, prompting Byleth to run for the balcony and towards her partner. As she was about to jump, Byleth slipped on the wet railing, and she spiraled downwards with a shriek. Claude and Nagini immediately dove to save her, catching Byleth just a few feet before she would’ve hit the ground. 

“Gotcha, Teach.” Claude whispered, cradling her in his arms. 

Byleth’s heart soared once more, extremely happy to be reunited. “You came back for me… and saved me.”

“I won’t ever leave you again, By,” Claude responded, caressing her cheek. “Now, let’s deal with them and get out of here.”

Claude motioned for Nagini to evade another batch of guards. The Almyran let loose some more arrows, but when he was out of ammunition, he directed Nagini back to the stables for his final scheme. “You know what to do, old girl.” 

Nagini snorted in agreement and opened its mouth, screeching first before letting loose a steady stream of fire down on the barn. Once it was fully covered in flames, Nagini swerved away, zooming up and out of the estate. In mere seconds, the flames had ignited the stored barrels of gunpowder, and a huge explosion blew up the grounds. It set the whole mansion ablaze, and Claude and Byleth happily flew away from the frenzy, finally accomplishing their mission.

\----------------------

After their adventure at the mansion, Claude led Nagini to a large cave in the forest, one that he had used to hide Nagini before. They kept her there first to rest for the night as they made their way through the woods back to the town. Somehow, their horse, Nagi, had made it safely out of Orocan’s estate and was also nearby, and the pair decided to ride her back to the town and find shelter from the still-pouring rain. 

“I didn’t know wyverns could breathe fire,” Byleth said curiously as the two rode along the dirt path. 

“Only she can, but rarely does,” Claude replied. “She fires up when she’s angry. Pun intended.”

“She was probably channeling her anger with you,” Byleth joked, and the two laughed heartily. They continued that way until they reached the town, somehow finding their way back to the Naughtingham Inn. They secured their steed at a nearby stable, and started for the inn, still giggling and snickering from their conversation. 

Byleth was about to slap him playfully from a particularly annoying jest, but she tripped once again from a deep puddle. Claude swooped in to catch her, effectively pressing her against his chest. Byleth laughed in gratitude with his successful save, but the Almyran hadn’t returned the same smile. Claude had a serious expression and gazed at her with half-lidded eyes.

“Claude…?” 

The Almyran was speechless, his heart and mind heavy as he entered an unexpected daze. Suddenly his senses went into overload, and he was overwhelmed with every single sensation. He felt a painful arousal at the feel of Byleth’s soft body on his. The weight of the pouring rain dipped the neckline of her dress lower, and the outline of her nipples were protruding, pressing against his chest and creating wet friction. His hand was on her backside, landing there when he captured her fall, and now gripping tightly to feel her round flesh. Byleth instinctively mewled from their contact, and his mind went into a frenzy with her sounds. Eyes trailed her bare neck where he could smell her signature scent despite the rain, then travelled upwards to her soft, puckered-up lips, where his own was now just inches away.

“Claude…” she said his name under her breath this time, but to him it was a quick wake-up call.

“B-byleth, I—” Claude tried to distance himself, but his hands were still on her waist, magnetized and unable to let go. His mind was cloudy, but he fought to maintain the few rational parts of his brain to figure out what brought about his trance. He remembered a flute of something other than champagne, of which he had finished the whole glass…

“I think I took something… and it’s only affecting me now,” he huffed, feeling a strong mix of pain and lust in his chest. “I’m afraid I might do something to you, By… You need to get away.” He closed his eyes to shake off his impulses, keeping in mind his promise to Byleth. He couldn’t falter now.

The professor gulped with his dangerous declaration. They were just laughing seconds ago and now Claude was straining to keep his composure. She shook in fear, and yet… she was happy. She was overcome with both pity and pride at how hard Claude was trying to remove himself from his desires. Her mind ran through the day’s events, remembering all the opportunities he could’ve had her and didn’t. Instead, he was dashing, chivalrous, and a gentleman, and she herself swelled in excitement and affection in seeing a different side of Claude. Looking into his eyes, she felt her heart beat again, faster and stronger than ever before. A familiar heat in her belly flared back to life, and she finally knew what needed to be done.

Byleth dove in for a passionate kiss, surprising both of them with her heated initiative. 

Honestly, she just couldn’t resist him any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year everyone! I'm sorry it took so long for this _equally long_ chapter, but (1) EOY work happened, (2) DimitriWeek happened-- _see my NSFW one shots if you're interested in my other OTP!_ \--, and (3) I wanted to have a proper "adventure" for Claude and Byleth and really build up their relationship.
> 
> If you've reached this chapter, I assume you've followed their story since the beginning and noticed all the... spice. I wanted the characters to have some _actual_ experiences outside of the bedroom, making them realize that real relationships aren't all about sex. They rushed headlong into satiating their desires, that even Claude had forgotten how to properly court someone. Byleth didn't know any better either...
> 
> TEDTALK OVER AND JUST LETTING YOU KNOW TO LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER he he he  
> \------  
> Feedback always appreciated! Did you enjoy the fluff? Do you want to get angry with me for delaying the smut? What positions do you want to see them do next? (HAHAHA)


	9. First Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Under the influence of a powerful drug, Claude’s insatiable desire is put to the test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for patiently waiting. The smut is now served.  
> Enjoy your meal.

The Naughtingham Inn was hardly known for being the most sought-after watering hole in town. Yet there were rare occasions such as tonight when free-flowing ale was being served, attracting unfussy patrons who cared more about getting drunk than the quality of the alcohol. Naturally, where drinking was, gambling and whoring followed, and the pub floor was filled with burly men and their betting games, every so often hollering for more wine or women. Win or lose, escorts participated in the cheers and boos of their paying customers. The inn reverberated with their drunken song and raucous noise, and unknowing to its customers, it served as the perfectly loud affair to drown out the lewd sounds of lovemaking from an upstairs bedroom.

Claude and Byleth had not parted since their urgent dash into the inn, hot lips and aching tongues locked tight in a heated and passionate dance. They moaned excessively in their room, all of which was just from hungry, impatient and touch-starved kissing. Byleth’s hands were cupping his face in earnest, while Claude had one in her hair and another around her waist, making sure their bodies were as close together as possible.

How did he get here again? 

Oh right, Byleth had stuck her tongue down his throat earlier, heating their souls under the pouring rain, finally feeding his desires. Admittedly it could’ve gone much worse—in a scenario where Byleth would have run away in fright forever and Claude would be left to deal with his maddeningly painful arousal by himself... or hidden in the cave together with his wyvern. And yet by some miracle he was allowed to touch her again, to feel her softness and her warmth, to taste the sweet flesh of her lips and her neck. Their much-awaited contact filled the chalice of his hot lust for Byleth, the only woman that could make him this weak and vulnerable. 

Truthfully, Claude was weak; physically and mentally, he was sexually unwell. His flesh was searing hot, feverish because of that damned concoction he had at the mansion. He had been distracted, and it was both frustrating and laughable that he, the master of schemes and poisons himself, had been tricked by a traitorous aphrodisiac that had a far-delayed reaction, allowing the drug to take root so deep in his system and affect his senses hundred-fold. He was both in pain and in power; he could feel his whole body exude so much virile strength, akin to the wyverns in Almyra during peak mating season. And yet what was left of his rational mind kept telling him to slow down and reassess his aroused frenzy, to take a step back and be careful with Byleth. That level of restraint eventually pained his muscles and his pelvis, having to fight his body’s sexual demands. To grind or not to grind—that was the ultimate question. 

Byleth noticed his hesitation. Under normal circumstances Claude would have already thrown her on the bed, and yet they were still stuck with kissing and heavy petting by the door of their room. She knew he was still unsure of their “new” relationship, and honestly, his mental fortitude was outstanding. Whatever was affecting him looked painful, considering how he himself was trembling and how far his pants had tented with his huge erection. He was worried that he’d hurt her, but Byleth had already decided and given permission. All he needed was to be nudged in the right direction. 

Byleth wove her fingers through his luscious brown curls, a weak point that she knew would amp up his desire. Claude inevitably groaned from the contact and broke their kiss for some air.

“By… if you do that, I…” Claude pressed his forehead against hers, huffing from the last bit of self-control that was wearing down in pieces. “You’ll make me want to do bad things to you…”

Byleth was thrilled to see Claude break. She continued to stroke his hair and gazed into his verdant eyes with expectation and yearning. “Like what, Claude?”

Claude growled brief and low with Byleth’s amenability, truly testing his willpower. He lowered his head to her ear to whisper his lascivious intentions. The lady wanted to be teased, and that, at least, he could give to her.

“I’ll take off your clothes and lick you all over, Teach. Every crevice of your body…” Claude breathed, his own mind unable to resist exposing his dirty thoughts especially with Byleth’s oh-so-wet dress. The thin material by her chest was exposing her unbound breasts and pink nipples through the now see-through material.

“I’d gorge on your breasts and twist your nipples…then leave marks all around your smooth chest,” Claude continued teasing, only caressing the underside of her heavy mounds, restraining his real desire to use his tongue. His hungry eyes scanned the rest of her wet dress, towards the skirt that clung to her hips and crotch area, creating a delicious outline of her shape. 

Claude’s hand travelled down south and cupped the flesh between her legs. “I’d taste you here and see how much you’ve ripened for me… then I’ll put my fingers in and feel how much you’ve tightened in my absence…” 

Claude was shocked at himself for his lewd declarations. He had never spoken to her this way, and although part of him felt liberated to do so, he wasn’t sure if Byleth was trembling from fear or excitement. And yet the professor was squirming with each new area that he’d touch. Her delicious little moans were simply music to his ears, stirring the fire of his heart and threatening his carnivorous desires to overflow. 

“Goddess By, don’t squeal like that...” he breathed. “You make me want to... just... _wreck_ you.”

The professor blushed hard, pausing for a moment to absorb the impact of his choice of words. But she was not one to back down from a challenge. Without hesitation, Byleth cupped his face in her hands and looked straight into his own half-lidded orbs.

“Then do it.”

Claude’s eyes grew wide in disbelief, but in a mere split-second he let go of his control and released his inhibitions. Having been given approval, Claude immediately grabbed the neckline of her dress and tore it open, revealing her bouncing bosom that he had missed so dearly. He gorged on each breast in earnest, eliciting loud and uncaring moans from Byleth. He did as he had promised; Claude twisted her nipples with one finger, while his mouth left hungry bite marks around her areola. Byleth squealed in both pleasure and pain and continued stroking the back of his head as praise. 

Apart from the recognition, Claude took it as a sign to move on to his next task. A hand snaked through the high slit of her dress to find the waistband of her underwear, shifting the fabric covering her precious core to the side. Then, upon simply pressing his fingers against her already wet flesh, Byleth gasped from the heat of their contact.

Claude had not lost his touch. He knew just how to pleasure her with his digits the way she liked, in the fashion that would make her crumble hard and fast. His index and ring finger spread her outer folds—Byleth already trembling from just that touch alone. With her core pried open, Claude’s long, powerful middle finger would then work on her exposed clitoral hood, pressing inward in a rhythm that would produce her most sensitive nub from the pressure. And when that finally happened, it was the Almyran’s cue to get down on his knees. 

Byleth cried out with just the first press of his tongue on her outer lips, sensitive from not being licked in what seemed like decades. She clenched her thighs involuntarily, and Claude had to reintroduce his hands to spread her wide open for him. He padded around her labia, taking in the insane amount of slick that had already coated her core. Once she was temporarily clean, he stuck his tongue straight into her throbbing hole, sucking and drinking more of her sweet juices as if he had not been nourished in years. He missed this taste, and she had never tasted any better.

Claude alternated between her hole and her now-swollen clit, which had become larger than he was used to, likely from the sensitivity and Byleth’s own insatiable sex drive. This was the part of Byleth that would never lie; it would twitch in anticipation to indicate her desires were in full swing. Claude sucked on her precious rosebud, swirling his tongue all around, before pushing two fingers into her sex.

“Oh fuck… Claude!” Byleth cursed, which the Almyran paralleled in his mind, not expecting how tight Byleth had become. She was extremely wet, and yet her walls were bearing down on his fingers, clenching them in a chokehold that it took many tries for him to get a good rhythm. Byleth’s hisses and moans fueled him to proceed, soon introducing a third finger when her folds were more accepting. Claude continued his assault on her sensitive clit as he fucked her insides with his expert digits, pumping and scissoring her to a wild, shaking completion.

Byleth screamed with her long overdue orgasm. She pulled Claude’s head closer to her core as she gushed in waves, the latter eagerly drinking her fluids without caring much for her oversensitivity. He just really needed to taste Byleth after being separated for so long and he would not let any single drop go to waste. But licking her clean was just the appetizer—it was time for the main course.

Claude picked her up and carried her to their small bed, laying her still-recuperating form flat on the surface. He returned to her mouth hungrily while his hands released her dress’ laces, getting Byleth out of her wet confines. Claude could only gasp in awe of her naked form, in full display as she writhed under his large, hovering frame. He already knew how beautiful his lover was, and yet in their week of separation, she seemed to have developed even further: her body was in its best shape, slick and fully aroused, and was positively glowing for him. Damn, she was truly the living embodiment of the goddess. 

Claude couldn’t resist. His fingers darted across her achingly erect nipples before feeling the light bite marks he’d left earlier. He smoothed his hands along the soft, pearly skin of her waist, running them down to her hips before spreading her legs wide. He dipped a finger back along her folds, chuckling quietly as she squirmed and bucked her hips upwards.

“By… you want more, don’t you?” He lowered his head just an inch away from hers, moaning as his clothed groin made contact with her core. “Do you want to, By? I need you to say yes.”

Byleth’s eyes were closed but she continued to wriggle underneath to get more friction. Claude was waiting for her consent, which was admirable and appreciated. But in this moment of need, she wanted the man to be more forward than chivalrous. This charade needed to end immediately.

“Goddess, YES!” she screamed, hands trying to reach for his pants. “Please do me, Claude, I need you!”

His usual self would have laughed at her adorable proclamation, but Claude was aching too painfully to indulge in teasing her. He hurriedly pulled down his trousers, revealing his throbbing, angry and steel-hard shaft—the source of his lust. It was ready for battle, pre-cum spilling from his tip and twitching in anticipation. He pressed his lips against Byleth’s as he pushed in, capturing both of their cries from the much-awaited connection. 

As expected from his earlier finger work, Byleth was impossibly tight, and Claude worried that she would be overwhelmed, knowing how his erection had grown thicker from the effect of the aphrodisiac. But Byleth was amazingly resilient, biting her lips and nodding occasionally whenever she felt she could accommodate more his length. It wasn’t an easy entry—it felt like their first time together when Byleth was introduced to sex. It was painful, but ultimately amazing, heavenly, and euphoric to be connected as one. Why did her ever think he could leave this amazing woman?

When he eventually bottomed out, Claude released a hefty sigh of relief. Finally, he was where he belonged—her sacred cave of wonders that soothed his soul and calmed his anger… but not his fiery passion. He started his slow thrusts, eliciting deep moans from Byleth who clawed at his back. He savored the way her walls welcomed and enveloped his shaft with every re-entry, as if they were perfectly made to fit only him. He thrusted in harder and faster, and she sang his name with each plunge, her lewd voice mixing with the sounds of his balls slapping against her ass.

Claude raised one of her legs above his shoulder to get a better angle, and they cried in unison from the deeper reach of his cock. Byleth came immediately from that angle, her toes curling from her second climax. Her lover grit his teeth as she clamped down on him, and in seconds he spilled his impending release with a last thrust into her core. 

It had only been his second time to cum inside Byleth, and that sublime sensation was worth repeating. In fact, Claude’s cock was unsurprisingly still hard, no sign of it having softened. It was still angrily twitching inside of her, perhaps even grown a tad larger, and both surmised that this drug wasn’t going to settle anytime soon. 

Claude went back to her panting lips, kissing her hungrily. In a few moments he shifted to move Byleth on top of him while still sheathed in her. But the change in position allowed Claude’s cock to slide in even deeper, and Byleth screamed in delight. She dislodged herself from his lips and sat up, pressing her hands on his chest for support. She had never straddled him before, and her folds were on fire from the stretch and fullness of him. 

“Claude… it’s so hot,” she started, lips trembling from the throbbing dick in her womb. “You feel so good like this…”

“I could say the same, Teach,” he replied, simply salivating at the view of Byleth spread wide above him. As much as he wanted to stay in this moment forever, his desire to feel the ridges of her walls was more overpowering. “But it’s time to move. Shall we?” 

Claude’s large hands groped her hips to assist in lifting her up and down his length. There was some resistance at first, but their mixed juices from earlier helped ease her down faster. Claude could see the thick white cum that coated his shaft and her outer folds, more and more of which were seeping from her hole with every downward movement to the base of his pelvis. It was amazing, but he could tell Byleth was straining from the ride, and thus decided to take the reins to thrust upwards instead, letting her rest (or not). In this way he could move faster, and Byleth only needed to hold onto his arms that gripped her hips tightly, enough to leave angry, red handprints on her side. 

Again, Claude could feel himself getting bigger, ready to burst in full force. Byleth was ready too, but she was trying to stifle her moans, likely worried how hard she would release for a third time. But Claude wanted to hear her beautiful cries, and he knew just the thing to get rid of her reluctance. He moved his fingers to pinch her exposed clit, and true enough, Byleth cried a high-pitched moan from the sudden touch. He rubbed her ferociously, enjoying the way her swollen clit was so firm in his fingers. He maintained a brutal pace for both his thrusts and his rubbing, soon driving them over the edge for yet another time this evening. 

They orgasmed together, but Claude’s seed spilled inside her for a long time, even after Byleth had already calmed down from her high. She loved how his warm fluids filled her core, but she knew her hole couldn’t take anymore and was overflowing into a puddle underneath them. 

Byleth moved off from his shaft initially wanting to rest, but the sight of his glorious length immediately reignited the fire in her. How could it still be so erect? And pumping out his cum? She was stunned from the sight, and all she wanted to do was show her gratitude and reciprocate her lover’s actions.

Claude had an arm across his eyes, panting. But Byleth would not afford him that brief respite, wrapping her hands around his still-pulsing cock. She smirked when the Almyran instantly sat up in surprise, her hands already palming his length and the underside of his balls. Before he could say anything, Byleth darted her tongue across the tip, leaving Claude tongue-tied at his would-have-been resistance. She lowered her mouth all the way down in one swoop, her own hunger needing to be satiated. She swirled her tongue around his base while a hand pumped the upper half. Claude instinctively held her head and started thrusting up into her mouth, a cue that he wanted to be deepthroated. Byleth opened her mouth and went in deeper, and Claude released deep, guttural groans as she massaged his balls for added pleasure. 

“By, I’m gonna break!!” Claude shouted, grabbing a fistful of her hair before shooting his load into her mouth. Byleth was sure she could take his release, and yet he was pumping so much that she couldn’t swallow all of it in time. She gagged a bit and was forced to release his cock, which continued to spurt streams of cum on her chin and chest.

Both remembered the first time Claude messed her face with his seed. But this time, Byleth’s breasts were naked and painted with multiple streaks of white, and it gave the professor a lewd idea. She reached for his shaft and placed it in between her breasts, the largeness of which fully enveloped his thickness as she pressed them together. 

“B-by?? What are you doing??” Claude freaked, totally unexpecting her boldness. As expected, his cock had still not been subdued, and her actions were only making it throb even worse.

“Just something I’ve wanted to try…” she said with a wide grin, still massaging his fullness with her two mounds of heavy flesh. “I know how much you like my chest…”

“They’re fucking heaven…” Claude mumbled, throwing his head back in pleasure of his teenage dream being fulfilled. She moved her tits up and down on his length, using his earlier load on her breasts for lubrication. New beads of fluid appeared at his tip, and Byleth licked them off immediately while still massaging him. Claude hissed from Byleth’s amazing combo working on his aching member, and soon he was thrusting up again, fucking her breasts in earnest. Byleth only needed to keep her mouth open and her chest pressed tightly on his cock as the Almyran took control. 

“Ngh… By, again!!!” Claude groaned in reference to another huge release. This time he climaxed slower, and Byleth was both determined and ready not to waste a single drop. She took every release of his hot seed, savoring the taste of him in the same way that he enjoyed hers. She milked his cock for the whole minute of his best orgasm thus far. 

The wyvern master plopped back down on the bed, breathless. His head was spinning and his chest had not stilled from the adrenaline of his climax. Byleth licked the last drop of cum by her mouth, then climbed over her lover as he huffed and puffed. She felt the extreme heat still emanating from his body, then stroked his rain- and sweat-slicked hair to calm him down. 

“There, there. Let me take care of you, Claude,” she whispered quietly and began planting gentle kisses on his cheek. She trailed down his neck, and her hands worked on removing his cravat so she could access more of his skin. She pulled his vest open, revealing his chest’s large expanse that heaved with his deep breaths. Her fingers ghosted over the most noticeable patch on his upper pectoral—the burn scar that she had imprinted on him, marring his soft, chocolate flesh carelessly. Byleth pouted briefly before raining down her sweetest kisses on the area, soothing his skin and his soul. 

Claude stirred back to life with her smothering, not to mention her wet heat down south grinding along his never-flaccid cock. He was loving this attention—her hot lips licking, kissing and worshipping him all around—, but the urge in his pelvis was too strong to ignore, and he couldn’t neglect his woman’s needs as well. 

He pulled Byleth up to his own mouth for a searing hot kiss, caressing her face as he intertwined his tongue with hers. It was only brief, and Byleth whimpered when he broke away, but the man had more passionate plans for his lover. He quickly removed the rest of his clothes, finally freeing himself from their dampness and earning a grin from his lover as she observed his fully naked form. Then, he positioned Byleth adjacent to him and on her side, while he curled and spooned her from behind. He nuzzled her nape and palmed the underside of her breasts. 

Byleth was squirming in equal parts delight and agony of not being able to face her partner. “Claude…” she called out, flailing her hands backwards to get a better hold of him. 

“Don’t worry, Teach. I’ve got you…” He assured her, breathing hot and heavy into her ear. The next thing Byleth knew was her leg being raised and the tip of his pointed, newly erect cock lined up against her hole. She gasped loudly as he pushed in, suddenly not so used to his size. Claude moaned too from her tightness, this new position providing much challenge and only allowing him to go halfway with his first thrust. 

“H-how did you get so tight, By?” Claude put in much effort to push in more of his length. His mouth was still in the lovely crook of her neck, soothing her from behind. “Did I neglect my lady for far too long?”

Byleth only mewled, having already lost her earlier vigor and confidence. Claude was back in control, and she just wanted to be carried to ecstasy. The Almyran did just that, finally stretching her insides and starting a slow rhythm to reacquaint her sex. His right hand travelled down to rub her folds, adding even more pleasure. Byleth squealed and moaned, and Claude had to twist her face towards him so he could capture her salivating lips with his own. 

With the hungry kisses and long, languid thrusts, Claude and Byleth sent themselves over the edge once more. Byleth’s walls clenched his cock, and the man shortly followed with another supply of his seemingly limitless seed. He came in waves, an unsurprisingly insane amount already leaking out of Byleth and coating their legs in a sticky mess. 

But Claude would not be satiated just yet. No, it was far from over. The fire in his gut was still blazing, and he quickly shifted their position once again. Claude pushed Byleth face down on the bed while he kneeled above and behind her in a powerful stance. His cock, briefly pulled out from her folds, was rubbing against her wet heat, angry, stiff as a rod, and burning with primal need.

This time, Byleth’s eyes grew wide in awe of his stamina and overall change in aura; Claude was exuding unseen strength that both excited her and worried her. Her ass was in the air, but her breasts were pressed against the bed a bit uncomfortably. She felt him grip her thighs so hard that she was sure to bruise soon after. Byleth twisted her neck to look for him, but the devilish gaze Claude had on his visage sent chills down her spine. 

“Claude…” she spoke, reaching for his hand to pull him from his trance. 

The Almyran blinked from her soothing touch, shaking his head quickly and realizing how they were positioned. “Byleth, I…” he started, hands on her hips suddenly trembling and anxious. “This… I’m sorry… I didn’t…” The memories of their dark and recent tryst came rushing back into his mind and he grew fearful for his potentially uncontrollable desire. 

As he was about to separate himself, Byleth reached for his hand once again and gripped tightly. Claude was greeted with a calm, smiling face that nodded once, giving him the most soothing guarantee he could ever wish for. “It’s okay, Claude. You won’t hurt me.”

That’s right. He would never. Instead, he would give her the world.

He leaned down to kiss her back, as gentle as the smile she had just displayed with her reassurance. Then in one fell swoop, Claude plunged into her enticing heat from behind, fully unsheathing himself in her. The pair moaned in unison, only half-expecting the sexual gratification of this position. Despite having sex all night, being taken from behind was a whole new realm, allowing partners to explore and reach the deepest depths of their relationship, literally. Claude’s shaft was so far down her womb, hitting all-new pleasure points.

Claude cried her name from the insane feel of her cunt, wanting to melt right then and there. But he persevered with slow, powerful thrusts that escalated quickly into a brutal pace, sending shockwaves through a moaning Byleth.

“Goddess, you’re so good for me. Let me hear you more, By,” Claude huffed as he gripped her hips tighter. Her ass bounced with every thrust, and he suddenly had the urge to slap her round behind. The room reverberated with the crisp smack of her flesh, which caused Byleth to gasp so sharply and spread her legs even wider. 

“You like that?” He spanked her once more, her skin immediately turning red from the force and her tone whimpering in delight. Claude continued his barrage of slaps and thrusts into her sex, and soon he could feel her clamp down again for another orgasm. He watched her fluids coat his shaft as he regulated his pace in and out of her folds, adjusting briefly to let her settle down. 

But Claude’s member ached feverishly, still unsatisfied and pending his own release. Claude knew her vagina was spent, already overflowing cum that he was actually pushing back in with every thrust. But he knew Byleth was a champ, and if anyone could still take him—in the way his deepest desires craved for—, it would be her. 

He leaned closer against her back while his hard shaft rubbed against her buttocks. “By, do you trust me?” he whispered softly. He smoothed her shoulders and placed gentle kisses on her skin to stir just a little more life into his lover. “Will you allow me… to take you in your other core?”

His cock rubbed harder against her buttocks, coating the area with his slick. Byleth mewled from the sensation, and although she wasn’t sure what to expect, she still yearned deeply for his touch. She whispered a sweet okay, and Claude kissed the top of her head before resuming his position. Byleth braced herself as his tip prodded at her back hole, an area she had never even considered before. But clenching the sheets was no use, because when Claude’s (thankfully lubricated) cock pushed in, she saw white.

It was the hardest stretch she had ever experienced. Her ass was on fire from the penetration, and she could hear Claude struggle too. When he finally bottomed out, Byleth cried from this otherworldly kind of fullness, and they both needed some time to adjust and be comfortable. 

Byleth gripped his hand again when she was ready, and Claude began to move in and out of her ass with slow, halfway plunges. The professor sang his name with each thrust, now feeling a different kind of pleasure that was slowly growing on her. 

“Claude! Oh… there! Yes, fuck me harder!” She had lost all restraint, wanting his full speed and power. Claude complied to the best of his ability despite the insane tightness and vice grip on his cock. He leaned over to intertwine their fingers, giving his lover whatever comfort he could muster as he slammed into her with the last of his strength.

“Byleth, I’m going to cum!!!” he screamed, and finally pumped the release of a century into her. Byleth cried out as well, experiencing a climax like no other, leaving her trembling and shaking with electricity. They howled each other’s name, loud enough to rival the party downstairs and threaten the secrecy of their lovemaking. But they hardly cared—if they were going to be caught and chained tonight, at least they were in each other’s arms.

Both collapsed on the bed after their high had tided over, Claude making sure to land beside her lest he crush her extremely limp form. He pulled out with a sigh of relief, finally feeling his member return to normal size. He was light-headed from the release, but he was no longer feeling the throb of his heightened sexual drive, the drug likely to have finished running its course. 

Byleth nestled on top of Claude’s chest, running her small fingers through his chest hair to feel more of him. The Almyran had an arm slung over her shoulders and he tightened his embrace to plant a kiss on her head.

“By, I really loved that…”

Byleth only hummed quietly as she continued to rest. Claude worried from her silence, and reached to cup her face gently, searching her large doe eyes for any potential pain. “Are you sure you were okay with that, By? Wasn’t I… too rough?”

Tired as she was, the professor grinned her widest. “It was wonderful, Claude,” she assured him, leaning into the warm caress of his hand. “I wouldn’t have let you come in me more than once if it wasn’t. And it’s still all in me…”

“Let me clean you up, then.” Claude playfully licked his lips and rocked his hips against hers, the return of his naughty side gaining a giggle and pinch from Byleth. The pair were too sensitive and exhausted to engage in anything serious, but it felt good to release a little laughter here and there.

Despite their lighter moment, Claude was still feeling skeptical about it all. Was this really happening? Was it even right that… they did this? Perhaps Byleth was just drugged too, and tomorrow she’d push him away again. He couldn’t find the right words to approach the situation, suddenly producing a cold sweat from worry.

Byleth felt his tension and shifted upwards to watch his furrowed brows. She reached to cup his jawline, gently stroking his soft, trimmed beard, and looked straight into his anxious eyes. 

“Claude, I know I said we should start over…” she spoke softly, now with a serious yet soothing tone. Claude worried she was going to reevaluate their relationship, however this time she clung onto him fiercely, giving him hope. 

“But after today, I realized that was foolish. I was just finding an excuse to not deal with this—” 

Byleth brought down his head to press it against her chest. “Do you feel that?”

Claude’s eyes grew wide at the impossibility before him. “B-by… is that…?” He pressed his ear closer to her chest, wanting to make sure he hadn’t just imagined the faint beat of something that shouldn’t have been there. “H-how…? When did you…??”

“All my life I believed I was just an empty husk, worse than that Ashen Demon title they used to call me. But you…” She cupped his face in her hands and gazed deep into his still-bewildered eyes. She blushed bright pink, her lover turning the same. “You’re the one who’s made me this way. It’s when we do things together that it beats. Only you can make me feel so many things, and now… I feel so…excited? Happy? Haha, I don’t know…” 

Claude fought the speechlessness with all his might, wanting very much to reaffirm her position. “ _You’re_ the one that makes me the happiest, Teach. Do you even know how amazing you are? What you’ve done for me… how _you’ve_ changed _my_ life?” 

He looked deep into her glassy eyes, feeling the same level of emotion that made him tremble in exhilaration. “I don’t care if your heart beats or not. That doesn’t change what I feel for you and how much I want you in my life. I’m sorry to have failed you before. I didn’t think I’d ever get to be with you again, and now I don’t want anything else. I’ll be good to you, I’ll never hurt you, and I’ll never leave you again. I promise to make you happy always, Byleth, if you’ll have me.” 

“Oh, Claude…” she melted in the heat of his yearning gaze, lips quivering from the weight of his heartfelt declarations. “I’m sorry I pushed you away. I don’t want you to ever leave again. I want to be with you.”

Claude locked her in a tight embrace, linking their bodies closer than ever with no intention of breaking apart. “You’re more than I could’ve ever dreamed of, Byleth. Thank you for forgiving me. And trusting me.”

Byleth wrapped her arms around him and burrowed herself in his warmth. She was overwhelmed with emotion that her heart soared in leaps and bounds. And yet, despite the flurry in her chest, she had never felt more peace. Being in his arms wasn’t just comfortable and soothing—it felt safe. It was right where she belonged. 

She didn’t want to say anything else, worried that even the slightest breath would disrupt their little haven and it would just be all a dream. And yet her lover broke the silence, shifting inwardly towards her and whispering quietly for only them to hear. 

“I love you, By…”

It was then that Byleth’s heart skipped a beat, tripping the steady rhythm that she was getting used to. Shocked to her core, Byleth raised her head to him, astonished and awestruck yet ready to reply the same. 

“Claude, I-I… lov— Oh.”

In the twist of the century, the Almyran King had fallen asleep, albeit with a cold sweat and a thin stream of blood running down his nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok 2 chapters of no intercourse is ENOUGH. Thus they have to make up for it--with a marathon. :)  
> I'm happy I've been able to reach this far into the story where I believe I can close the discovery arc. Now it's time to explore how they'll navigate their relationship... and ultimately what becomes of them as two people from different worlds/timelines.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading :) Comments and feedback always appreciated. Or, please feel free to leave me a message in Twitter! @smoothpeachbutt


	10. First Partner - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claude suffers from a mysterious side effect of the drug. In order to save him, Byleth devises a tricky and risky plan with the help of a someone just like her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back ~ Thank you for your patience. To make up for my absence, I believe I’ve written a meaty one, so please enjoy two courses (chapters) of your meal.

“Claude, are you sure you’re alright with flying?”

Byleth twisted her body to reach behind her, particularly for the Almyran’s pale face. She cupped his cold cheek and Claude nuzzled her flesh first before planting a kiss on her palm.

“Of course, Teach,” he whispered, less animated than usual and with a strained smile. “I’m as fit as Nagini.”

“No, you’re having cold sweats again. And you’re loosening your grip. You’re nowhere near Nagini’s steady strength.” The wyvern in question snorted in agreement as Byleth twisted further on the saddle to feel her weakening lover. “Maybe I should continue our flight?”

In normal circumstances Claude would’ve chided a refusal and played the ever-gallant gentleman. But this time he only nodded at her suggestion, relinquishing Nagini’s reins to the professor. As Byleth shifted forward to test her grasp, Claude slumped against her back, settling his head on her shoulder and wrapping his trembling arms around her small waist. 

“Thanks, Teach. Let me just… re-energize myself. You know that I only need you and I’ll be alright again.”

Before long, Claude had dozed off. Byleth simply let him rest on her shoulder as Nagini faithfully glided along the clouds, keeping them both intact with her steady pace. Soon Claude was reaping the benefits of her body heat. True to his declaration, the shivering stopped and his breathing normalized, as if being around Byleth was truly his cure... albeit only a temporary one.

It had been a few days since they left their prolonged vacation leave to head back and find the Order of Heroes. They had solemnly but gratefully parted with Nagi, their faithful steed, placing him in the care of an old couple who tended a farm. Then they rushed north with days on their albino wyvern’s back, a long and grueling journey past thick forests, busy towns, and threatening thunderstorms. 

The rush back was brought about by Claude’s deteriorating health, which only worsened with the not-so-kind travel conditions. Right after the couple’s steamy reunion, Claude’s body had worn down, seemingly from a side effect of the aphrodisiac that poisoned his body. He would feel dizzy, nauseated, and have random nosebleeds. His muscles were limp and he hardly had any strength. But most importantly, Claude was impossibly cold. He was cold to the touch, would produce buckets of cold sweat, and his golden-brown skin was almost as pale as Byleth’s. And Claude _fucking hated_ the cold. 

Despite being the master of tricks and poisons, Claude had no knowledge of such an exotic mixture. Regular medicines didn’t work, and no healer could diagnose correctly either. Thus they made do with their own _treatment_ , with Claude only requesting to cling unto Byleth for her warmth and body heat. He would guarantee her it was enough, and truly, for short periods of time, Claude would get some relief—a temporary respite from his chills and sweats. 

Byleth was deeply anxious for his condition, but she was willing to be any sort of comfort for her lover. As long as he was close to her, their bodies embracing as tightly as possible, Claude would regain some energy, and that gave her some assurance. What troubled her more was a personal concern—one that she felt guilty for worrying about considering their circumstances.

That night, Claude whispered his declaration of love—not for his world’s Byleth, rather it was a direct confession to _her_. Byleth had never really known what “love” was, but her now freshly beating heart had wanted nothing else but to say the same. It was everything she could think about, second only to his incessant cold chills. But she also wondered if he really meant it, or if he had just spurted nonsense as a side effect of the drug. He hadn’t brought it up again either, as they’d also become preoccupied with Byleth’s frequent how-are-you’s and Claude’s constant reassurances despite his skin growing paler by the day. And thus Byleth was resigned to keep this conversation for later—if there was even going to be a chance to do so at all. 

But her unease about their mutual feelings would soon become insignificant. They finally spotted the familiar war banners of the Order down below, thankfully in what seemed like another captured Emblan fort. Byleth motioned for Nagini to descend; however, upon their landing, Claude cried out in pain, clutching his center and curling inwards. In his weakness, Claude lost his hold and tipped to the side, falling off Nagini. 

“Oh no—Claude!!!” Byleth called out, immediately jumping off to reach him and calling for the nearby guards to help. It took two bannermen to help carry Claude indoors, and the extremely pale lord had started his feverish cold sweats again, his teeth chattering from his sudden chills. She held his hand tight, and he too clutched on it for dear life as they ushered him to the healers. 

Once they arrived at the medical ward, the healers received Claude but separated the two, advising Byleth to wait outside. Claude groaned through his teeth as her hand slipped away, and he called out her name despite the pain. 

“Byleth!” he cried out. “Wait… I need her!!” Claude tried to sit up from the gurney, but he only had enough strength to keep his arms outstretched for the professor. The guards were trying to usher Byleth out the door, and although she could’ve knocked them out herself, she struggled with the thought of having to cause trouble. She called his name back, wanting so badly to stay with him. 

“Let her in, it’s fine!” a woman bellowed from inside the ward, earning the guards’ confusion. They stepped aside and Byleth immediately sprinted in, landing by Claude’s bedside. She clutched his hand at once, trying her best to wrap it with her warmth. 

The woman who allowed her in placed a hand on her shoulder, gently yet with firm assurance. Byleth looked up to see Mercedes, wand and spellbook in tow. She was joined by other healers from the Order, all armed with their quiet smiles and resolve. “I’ve always believed that being around people is the best cure for illnesses,” she spoke quietly. “Look, you can tell he’s more at ease now.”

True enough, Claude’s cold sweats had subsided and his breathing was more steady. He was still shivering, but he returned her grasp with a firm tug. He gazed at her weakly, but his glassy verdant eyes were locked solely on hers. Byleth watched as he mouthed words through chattering teeth. “Thank you. I love you…” 

Before Byleth could reply, Mercedes pat her shoulder again, signaling that the healers were going to begin. She moved to cast a sleeping spell on Claude, and the Almyran soon drifted to sleep. As his eyes shut, he forced a weak smile towards Byleth and kept his hand affixed in her clutch. 

“Thanks for keeping him calm, Professor,” Mercedes whispered. “Don’t worry, leave the rest to me.”

\-----------------

Byleth woke abruptly, a hand already at the hilt of her sword out of reflex. She scanned the room for the potential threat, then heaved a sigh when the source was only a bird pecking at the window. Seeing the chirping canary outside made her realize it was already morning, and that she had fallen asleep hunched on the side of a bed.

A resting Claude was on that bed, and Byleth had been watching him every day since their return to the Order. It had been two days after Claude’s initial treatment with the healers. She remembered how it had been a grueling evening of relentless back and forth pacing, as she was made to wait for his half-day procedure. When Mercedes finally opened the ward doors, Byleth had almost fainted from both worry and fatigue, but she powered through to hear the diagnosis.

Mercedes gave mostly positive news: Claude was in a much better state and on the way to recovery. But the source of the problem—ice magic—hadn’t been dispelled just yet. They likened his condition somewhat to a shooting star, which at first released so much heat and energy (his insatiable lust that night) before blowing out and emptying into a frozen magical mass that weakened the rest of his body. Unfortunately, none of the clerics or monks had encountered this poisonous arcana before, but they did their best to drain as much cold as possible from his body. However, they all concluded that ultimately, direct fire magic was the best counteroffensive to truly dispel the magic. They contained the spread for now, but the magical freeze could reactivate if left untreated.

Byleth looked down at her palms then back to the sleeping Almyran, particularly to his chest where she knew his burn scar to be. The last time she had used her budding fire powers on him, she wasn’t able to control her bursts just yet. And when the time came for her to actually put them to good use, she found herself to be useless. She clenched her fists in disappointment, knowing that she didn’t have that level of magic control to save him. Her powers could only hurt, not heal. 

How could she even attempt to use her magic on him? Sure, she was one of the first to volunteer to do the task, but she soon realized her lacking ability. At the same time, Claude refused to see any of the mages in the Order. He flexed his pride by saying he was getting better—which was partly true if not for the fact that he could relapse. He was also persistently selfish to just want Byleth by his side at all times. But she knew her physical presence was just a ruse—she wasn’t really his “cure”. Claude was fighting the real pain with an excuse to be with her, when what he needed was real treatment. 

The Almyran started to shift in bed. His eyes were still shut but he released small groans as he stirred awake. He opened his mouth to speak, one hand slowly raising to search for something to hold.

“B-byleth…?”

The professor darted forward to catch his hovering hand. “I’m here, Claude. Are you ok?”

The ends of his mouth curled upward slowly. “Only coz… you’re with me…” Claude’s eyes were still shut, but he had a peaceful and contented look. “As long as it’s you...”

As Byleth helped him to straighten up in bed, her mind sparked with an idea. She gazed at his still-adjusting eyes, ruminating on a possibility.

“Claude… You just need _me_ right?”

Claude smiled back weakly as he raised a hand to caress her cheek. “Only you, Teach... I’ll say it a thousand times—as long as it’s you I’ll be fine,” He raised a hand to caress her cheek. “I told you—I’m never letting you leave my side again.”

Byleth pouted, more from the realization that his hand was not as warm as it should’ve been. Mercedes was right—Claude looked fine from the outside, but it wasn’t going to last. The magic was sure to spread again and she couldn’t let him go through the same pain. But their short conversation this morning confirmed her little plan. With a determined gaze, Byleth abruptly stood from her chair and kissed him on the forehead, much to the Almyran’s confusion.

“Thanks Claude, but…” She headed for the door, back turned as she thought of an excuse. “Let me just leave you… for a bit. You know, girl matters.”

\------------------------------

It was hours after dinnertime when Byleth made her way back to Claude’s quarters. It was the longest period that she’d left her recuperating lover alone, and she was partly remorseful for such a lame excuse. A ruse such as ‘girl matters’ would’ve taken less than an hour, and yet Byleth had used the whole day for preparations. In a way, her work _did_ involve ‘girl matters’… a whole other _girl_ in fact.

“Do you remember what to say?” Byleth whispered to her female companion, giving her a top to toe inspection right outside Claude’s room. 

“Of course,” said the woman confidently. She turned for Byleth to showcase her attire, the black cape and similar trimmings around her waist twirling then draping seductively along her curves. “Don’t worry, I can handle it.”

“You didn’t really need to wear this outfit though…” Byleth muttered to herself, trying not to make full eye-contact with the level of awkwardness she felt. Instead she ushered them both inside the room, thanking the goddess under her breath that Claude was asleep. Byleth pointed to the female to go over to his bed, while she positioned herself to hide behind a walled corner on the other end of the room, a good enough spot to observe from.

Her female companion sauntered towards Claude’s beside and climbed onto his bed, hovering over him. The Almyran lord stirred awake as the mattress sunk from someone’s weight, and he moaned to force his eyes to open. 

“By…? Is that you?” Claude uttered, eyes slowly blinking open and searching for light in the darkness. His hazy vision could only make out dark hair and the familiar features and build of his lover. “W-what took you so long?”

“I told you… _girl matters_ ,” said the female, and Claude’s head landed satisfactorily back into his pillow when he confirmed her voice. 

“Aww Teach, your girl matters took the whole day?” he chuckled with eyes still shut in order to go back to sleep. “I was worried, and I—”

Claude interrupted himself when the woman fiddled with his buttons and opened his tunic wide. She planted her heavy chest right on top of his, then ran her hands slowly along his skin. The Almyran forced his eyes back open and raised his head to watch his professor. 

“Er, Teach…? What are you doing… and wearing?” Claude blinked in confusion, as he saw Byleth massaging his bare flesh and planting kisses on his chest. But now that his eyes adjusted to the darkness, what startled him more was her attire, or lack thereof. Byleth had on what seemed to be skimpy, black swimwear, while a red flower was pinned to one side of her wavy hair. There was more skin than cloth, as her heavy bosom was threatening to spill out of the tight fabric, one that already allowed the outline of her erect nipples to protrude. 

She looked back at him with a smirk, then moved to plant her mouth on Claude’s own, hands cupping his face as she sucked on him hungrily. “Just something to pump up the heat,” she said breathlessly after they parted for air. “Let me take care of you, Claude.” 

She moved to his neck and started licking everywhere, hungrily trying to cover every single surface. Claude was chained to the bed as one of her hands played with his nipples, eliciting a light groan from the lord. She continued to lick and suck on his pecs, then moved further down towards his abdomen and his pelvis, all while running her warm hands on every surface area of his flesh. She took a quick glance back at the frail wyvern rider, still weak to hold her off but enjoying the touch all the same. Satisfied, she undid the string of his trousers and pulled out his member. She smiled in seeing its size but hummed in teasing disapproval of its limpness.

“Aww, my kisses weren’t enough to get you hard yet? I guess this needs some attention.” Byleth unceremoniously wrapped her mouth around his crown, then plunged all the way down to the base. Claude jerked slightly from the sudden sensation, but his deep, guttural groan was a sure indicator of his pleasure. She could feel his dick suddenly throb in her mouth, and after swirling her tongue around a few times, it started getting harder. 

“There you go. Almost there, Claude…” she whispered, now pumping his twitching shaft. Her free hand hovered on the skin right above his small patch of curls, emitting a warm orange light growing in intensity by the second. 

On the other end of the room, Byleth strained her neck as far as she could to see what was happening without giving away her hiding place. She realized her position wasn’t optimal given that she couldn’t make out much in the darkness, except for her companion’s back and Claude’s feet. Thus she opted to inch a bit closer, but in doing so, she tipped over a crate of supplies on the floor. Byleth was able to adeptly regain her balance, but the sounds she made startled the pair on the bed, both of whom were in a compromising and very unexpected position. 

“W-what are you doing??” Byleth shouted in shock, seeing her companion’s hand on Claude’s fully exposed member. This was definitely _not_ the plan she had in mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued immediately in the next chapter! :)


	11. First Partner - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth tries to heal Claude by giving more of herself. Literally--one more of herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Directly continuing from the previous chapter... iiiiit's smut and fluff time!

Claude’s eyes widened in disbelief, mouth ajar as he gazed at the two Byleths in front of him. 

“Byleth…? But… another Byleth too??” He blinked profusely between the two, one on his bed with a sly grin, and another, fully clothed and looking as shocked as he. “What the—How is this possible??” 

“Oh dear, looks like we’re busted,” said the scantily-clad Byleth, letting go of his suddenly flaccid dick. “And I was so close to getting you to cum, too.”

Fully-clothed Byleth shot her doppelganger a dark glare. “That wasn’t part of the plan, Ms. Leth. You weren’t supposed to… _do that._ ”

“Didn’t I tell you that he needed to be on edge first? I was just about to use my magic when you came _falling_ in.”

Claude straightened up and sat on the edge of the bed. “What the hell’s going on?? What magic? And why are there two of you??”

Byleth ran to Claude and clutched his hands. “It’s me, Claude. _I’m_ the Byleth you know.”

“And for the purposes of tonight, you can call me Leth,” said the other flower-haired Byleth with a naughty smirk. “Well fine—I’m sorry for tricking you. I guess I got _curious_ about your little Claude down there.” 

“Well, it looks like you two also have that in common,” Claude retorted with his own playful grin towards Byleth, although he immediately pushed away their naughty memories in favor of the current situation. He then turned to Byleth, blushing and with a confused look. “Was this your plan, Teach?”

Byleth sighed and looked away dejectedly. “My magic’s not good enough to heal, and you didn’t want anyone else to be with you except me. I thought if I could get another hero—someone like me to help you... Leth is another world’s Byleth, and she’s a brilliant elemental mage, so—”

“So you thought you’d heal me with someone who looked exactly like you…?” Claude completed her sentence, but with a tinge of hurt in his voice. 

“I’m sorry for deceiving you, Claude. I just… really wanted to find a cure.”

Claude and Byleth looked at each other quietly, both contemplating what was the next best recourse. Leth, on the other hand, was feeling a bit impatient. “She’s right, von Riegan. We need to push out the freeze from your core. If you don’t do it soon, you’re gonna relapse, and when that happens, it’s gonna be hell worse than what you’ve been through. We need to get it out _now._ ”

Claude gulped as his senses came to, finally hearing and accepting his predicament. Leth cupped his chin, letting it face towards her. “Don’t worry—you have me. However, this is going to be a lot faster if Byleth helped me too…” 

Byleth blushed hard at Leth’s suggestion, and she noted Claude understood the insinuation as well with his face growing pink despite the darkness. Byleth gulped down her uncertainty, then looked away, embarrassed but willing. “Only if… Claude’s okay with it…”

Claude was a bit surprised with her approval, but he also gave his consent with a quiet nod. Both of them were still unsure, but that only made it more interesting for the amused Leth. She chuckled lightly before initiating with the Almyran, suddenly cupping his face for a hungry, breathless kiss. Leth had her mouth all over Claude’s, and although the latter was speechless with the new experience, there was denying that he was getting hot and bothered. He started enjoying it too, as he reciprocated with his tongue soon after. 

Byleth, on the other hand, was watching awkwardly and anxiously. In truth, they looked so hot with their touching bodies under the moonlight, and Byleth gulped quietly in both envy and yearning. She started to feel a familiar heat down south just from watching them and hearing their mutual moans. Damn, why did she have to say yes to this?

Although this was due to her own doing, Byleth worried that this might not have been her brightest idea. She was starting to feel out of place; she didn’t know how to insert herself in the picture, and soon realized that perhaps she wasn’t needed at all. Leth could give him the heat he needed anyway, and he seemed to have no qualms. _As long as Claude gets better_ , she thought to herself, eyes downcast and in defeat. Byleth sighed and turned for the door, but a firm grasp captured her wrist, pulling her back.

“By…” Claude whispered. His voice was both gentle and concerned, but his clutch was strong, not wanting to let go. “Stay with me. Please.”

Byleth was met with pleading verdant eyes, a gaze she knew all too well and couldn’t resist. Leth smiled from behind him, a knowing and calming presence that told her wordlessly that everything was going to be fine. Byleth still pursed her lips together, worried this was going to be too much for them all… or herself. Claude’s thumbed pressed against her mouth, releasing them from her bite. He traced her lips slowly before he pulled her chin forward, now just a millimeter away from his own. 

“I want you…” he uttered under his breath, gazing deep into her eyes with that familiar fire of want. He planted a soft, quick peck on her lips, testing the waters and allowing Byleth her own space to reciprocate. All her insecurities melted away with his touch, and she returned with a chaste kiss of her own.

“Come on, other me. I know you can be more forward than that,” Leth chuckled as she moved off the bed and towards Byleth. She removed her armor and coat first, then fidgeted with the numerous clasps of her breastplate. “Ugh… this is why I stopped wearing armor and opted for a bikini instead…”

Claude and Byleth were still locked in their gentle kisses that they jumped in surprise when Byleth’s armor fell to the floor with a loud clank. Leth swiftly removed the rest of her clothing and soon Byleth was just left in her underwear and lace tights, which left Claude blushing a deep crimson. 

“Ah, I’d almost forgotten the effect these tights had on my students,” said Leth, glancing at Claude’s lap. She ran her fingers along the length of his now-growing erection. “I’m honestly a bit envious you’ve made him this hard already, Byleth.”

Partly bound by duty to save Claude, and the fact that her own desires were pulsing through, Byleth immediately dropped to the floor and faced his growing erection. Unceremoniously, she darted her tongue out to lick his crown, lapping up some pre-cum. She licked him a few more times before taking his full length in her mouth, introducing her hands in the process to massage his balls.

“By…!” Claude choked, feeling a familiar throb that he knew all too well. Her masterful mouthwork was the only thing that could get him to stiffen in as short as a second, and Byleth was putting on her best foot—or rather, _tongue_ forward. 

“Oh, she takes you very well, huh?” Leth chuckled, intrigued with her counterpart’s blowjob. She knelt down beside Byleth and rubbed her chest against Claude’s thigh, creating more heat. “I want to try, too…”

The second that Byleth took a break for air, Leth swooped in for a long upward lick along his shaft. Claude jerked slightly from this addition, and it took a while to process that there were two same yet somewhat different Byleths patiently awaiting his member. Leth continued sucking his base, and Byleth resumed to envelop his top half with her mouth. Soon the two professors established a good rhythm, alternating positions on his shaft with their own techniques. Byleth was passionate with her deep-throating, while Leth licked a new spot between his balls and his ass that sent shockwaves through his veins. Before long, Claude was grasping the backs of both their heads, and he himself was alternating his thrusts between Byleth and Leth’s mouths. When they felt him tense up, Leth placed her hand on his abdomen, calling forth her magic once again. 

Claude pulled out his cock and released a pent-up load with a disheveled groan. Timed with his orgasm, Leth brought her magic to life, at which a bright red flare seemed to suck out a blue light from his pelvis. In a second it was gone, and all that was left was Claude’s seed painted on both Byleth’s chests. 

“W-was that it?” Claude huffed, panting as he came down from his high. 

“Unfortunately, no. There’s still some left…” Leth spoke, pulling herself and Byleth to stand. “Care to do that again for us, von Riegan?” 

Leth initiated the kiss once more, letting Claude taste himself on her lips. Byleth’s desires were also in full-swing, and this time she was more forward in getting her share. She rubbed her chest against his side, tracing his neckline with pecks and tiptoeing to reach his ear. Nibbling on it, she earned a deep groan from Claude, who was now moving his hands along her body to remove her underwear. 

Leth picked up the cue and did the same with her own bikini. She tossed the red gumamela from her hair and helped Byleth out of her tights before Claude could tear them to shreds. 

The mage whistled as she gave her counterpart a delighted look, then brought the challenge to their liege. “When it’s like this, would you know how to recognize us?” Leth said naughtily, displaying both her and Byleth seductively to the Almyran lord. Claude’s eyes darted in awe and indecisiveness between the two heavenly bodies. He was accustomed to seeing Byleth naked, but having two hefty, curvy goddesses in front of him? That was a tale worth telling for generations. Byleth herself tried to look away at having to see an exact replica of her nakedness. Leth chuckled, finding it amusing how cute their embarrassment was, when an idea struck. 

“Say, why don’t we put you to the test?” She gave him a wink and reached for the black sash from her swimsuit. She pushed Claude back down on the bed and wrapped the sash around his eyes. “I wonder if you can tell who’s who…”

Claude scoffed, trying to sound confident and downplay his nerves. “What did you have in mind?” He tried to reach around him for either of the girls, but there was both silence and nothingness. “Uhm, Byleth and… Leth? Are you there?”

Soon someone was crawling over him, body heat intensifying as it reached his covered face. His mouth made contact with slightly wet flesh, which he initially thought were someone’s lips. But he was taken aback when more of the flesh—a thick, heavy mound had also covered his nose, which was then treated to an overpowering scent of sex. Out of reflex, his tongue darted out to feel around, and a light moan was heard overhead. 

Although he couldn’t see, Claude knew enough to know he was kissing a different set of lips. He went to work on the outer folds of this female, mind calculating on the possibilities of which Byleth he was eating first. He sucked on the labia carefully, prodding around with his tongue to reach every crevice of her wet and plump flesh. Although he’d already memorized Byleth’s pussy by now, he had to assume that they had the exact same vaginal shape. The timbre in their voices and moans was the same too, which made distinguishing them a real challenge. 

Before long he’d arrived at her clit, and he sucked on it vigorously, occasionally leaving light bites on the nub. Thick thighs clenched his face together, signifying a release. Claude then felt a slow yet steady flow of cum drip into his mouth, and he lapped it up fervently, cleaning her up. 

Although he had not finished, the flesh rose from his mouth and thighs retreated backwards along the bed. The emptiness of his mouth was soon replaced by another mound of flesh, which was also dripping wet and burning hot. As her juice dripped down his chin, Claude hungrily drank from her hole, which was twitching with every poke of his tongue inwards. This one wasn’t going to last either, and with just one pass across her clit, thighs trembled with a loud gasp overhead. She came in his mouth similarly to the previous Byleth, and Claude gladly welcomed his second meal, cleaning her up until completion.

When this Byleth slid off his face, Claude propped himself up on his elbows, also panting from the heated exchange. “Both of you came really fast, huh?” he said breathlessly, removing his blindfold. 

“So make a guess, Claude,” said one Byleth. “Which one of us is which?”

Both of them were splayed on the bed in front of him, panting and a little weak from the recent orgasms. They looked exactly the same, bodies glistening from slick and sweat and emanating lewd heat. Claude was a little worried he’d make the wrong call, which would likely insult either of them. He gulped with uncertainty and played his 50-50 chances with a call. 

“The second one was Leth… right?” Claude guessed, wishing hard he’d made the right choice. However, the Byleth on the right made a slightly dejected face, striking a blow to Claude’s confidence.

Adversely, the left Byleth laughed devilishly. “Unfortunately, you got that wrong, von Riegan. Byleth was the second, not me.” She sounded like she was rejoicing more than being disappointed from the mixup. Leth then crawled towards him with a sly smile, pushing his body back to the bed before climbing onto his lap. She ground her still-wet heat over Claude’s shaft, much to his surprise.

“Because you got that wrong, I’ll have to take you first. Is that okay, Byleth?” Leth looked over to the blushing professor, asking for approval before proceeding. Claude peeked over to her too, mouthing an apology for his earlier mixup that was too adorable for Byleth to ignore. She closed her eyes with a sigh, then nodded to give her consent. She knew where Leth was going with this, and if it was ultimately to bring out the freeze from his core, then so be it.

Satisfied with her successful bargaining, Leth proceeded to guide Claude’s tip by her entrance. If not for some of his own pre-cum coating his shaft, it would’ve been a very difficult insertion. Both moaned deeply as Leth slid slowly down his cock, taking his fullness and throbbing heat. She was as tight as expected, but she took his whole length in one go. Once he was fully unsheathed within her walls, both took a second to adjust, panting heavily from the ordeal. 

“Goddess, I didn’t think you’d be _this_ big, von Riegan!” Leth exclaimed, and she prepared herself to move along his whole length. Seconds later she rode him with much ease and speed, displaying her masterful technique that elicited delightful “oohs” and “mmms” from them both.

Byleth found herself in a similar state of embarrassment as when they first started this tryst. She wondered about her place here as she watched Leth and her clearly experienced moves. However, she just couldn’t peel her eyes away from the scene; it was mesmerizing to watch how they looked like having sex, especially seeing a version of herself and imagining it was actually her doing so.

Claude noticed her silence and reached his hand out to her. “By…come here,” he called out with a gentle smile. Byleth was taken aback from his invitation, but her desires were too profound to ignore him. She crawled over slowly, still keeping her gaze on Leth’s powerful riding. Claude tapped her inner thigh, motioning for her to come closer. “I’m sorry. I know you’re disappointed in me. Let me make it up to you.” 

The invitation was to sit on his face, and Byleth both willingly and embarrassingly accepted. This time she sat facing Leth, who was clearly enjoying her commanding position. But Claude’s immediate mouthwork disrupted her jealous thoughts. He was doing wonders on her needy core, his tongue working harder and hungrier than earlier. He licked her folds relentlessly, lapping up all her newly produced sweet slick. Two thick fingers entered soon after, scissoring inside while his mouth sucked on her sensitive and throbbing clit. Byleth couldn’t help mewling with every pass of his tongue; she’d been so deprived of his hot touch that she immediately felt the rush of another climax between her thighs.

Leth and Claude grew insatiable for the lewd cries of her orgasm. Risking oversensitivity, Claude continued to suck her juices, while Leth unceremoniously pressed her fingers along Byleth’s folds. In turn, Byleth shook vigorously from the electric sensation of their ministrations. 

“You’re so wet, other me… Never thought I could come that much by just being eaten out.” Leth dragged her fingers along Byleth’s body, spreading her slick all the way up to her panting mouth. She dipped her fingers past Byleth’s lips, and the latter reflexively wrapped her tongue around those digits to taste herself. “Mmm… so lewd, Professor. Now I want to taste myself too…”

Leth leaned forward to kiss Byleth, shocking the two other partners. Byleth’s eyes widened, initially finding it awkward to kiss herself, but soon relaxed into Leth’s mouth, accepting her tongue and reciprocating with her own. On the other hand, Claude groaned from down below; never in his wildest dreams did he think he could experience more than one Byleth at the same time, and yet here they were above him, making love to each other as well. This raised his drive ten-fold, and he immediately started thrusting harder into Leth while his mouth and a third finger entered Byleth’s hole once again.

The two girls broke from their passionate kiss as Claude worked them, and they screamed in unison from the pleasure. It didn’t take long for their respective orgasms to flare up once again. Byleth was the first to release, squirting slightly into Claude’s mouth, then Leth followed, and she shook as hard as Byleth did. 

With her walls clamping down on his cock, Claude was pushed over the edge as well. He held onto Leth’s hips for a few more powerful thrusts, then readied to pull out his cock for his impending release. Leth signaled Byleth to watch as she got her fire magic ready, hovering over his pelvis. Timing it once again with his orgasm, Leth performed the spell, sucking out the cold with her powers. Byleth watched in awe, seeing how the spell was longer and more powerful this time. She climbed off Claude so she could lay beside him, rubbing his chest to soothe him along the process.

Claude ended with a heavy sigh of relief, both from his huge load and the release of the ice magic. But Leth shook her head, noting it still wasn’t enough. “There’s still some left. Are you up for one more round, von Riegan?”

It was an unnecessary question, as Claude was resolute to push through. “Of course. I’m feeling more fired up than ever, pun intended,” he said confidently. He shifted to face the Byleth beside him, smiling gently with his unmistakable verdant eyes of desire. “Teach, shall we do this together?”

Byleth nodded with a smile, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to hug and kiss her lover. Without breaking, Claude repositioned themselves with Byleth’s back to the bed, and himself above her. Satisfied with his control, Claude travelled down to her neck, finding the nook he loved to nuzzle and caress. He bit and sucked the sweat-slicked flesh of her chest, and Byleth’s sweet mewls of pleasure goaded him further to massage her hefty mounds, palming the fullness of each thoroughly. As he sucked on her nipples, a free hand reached down to cup her still-sensitive sex, earning a tremble from Byleth. He tested her tightness with a finger, then smiled when she responded with renewed slick gushing from her folds. He lifted himself up and caressed her cheek, gazing down at her lovingly. The tip of his cock slid along her folds, teasing and ready to charge.

“Just say the word, Teach.”

Byleth only groaned from the contact, but the Almyran took it as a yes to proceed. He pushed in his maddeningly hard cock in one thrust, causing Byleth to scream from the pleasure. She sat up to grab hold of him—anything that she could hold on to for support. He was burning her core with his shaft, which gave her no reprieve when it thrusted powerfully into her sex. Byleth swore she could see stars with his first few thrusts alone, and it took all her strength to accommodate his cock, growing in size inside her.

Leth wasn’t one to be left out of the fun, thus she positioned herself behind her doppelganger. She tilted Byleth’s head to the side to gain access to her mouth, a new discovery that had already pushed past awkwardness. As they locked tongues, Leth palmed Byleth’s breasts, pulling and twisting her nipples. And for a fitting finale, she reached down to thumb Byleth’s clit, giving her otherworldly pleasure while Claude’s dick punished her from within. Leth threatened to rub her little bud to numbness, and her core was being treated to the most unapologetic and heavenly abuse known to mankind. It was all too much, and yet not enough.

Despite her body’s pressing urge for release, Byleth’s personal goal took precedence. She caressed Claude’s cheek and gazed into his eyes. “I wish I could heal you too, Claude,” she whispered under her breath with much pained desire. “I wish I could make you better…myself.”

Leth chuckled quietly from behind, amused with Byleth’s adorable and fluffy request. “I’m sure you can do it too, you know. Shall we try?” As expected, Byleth gasped in worry, already rejecting the idea with her fear and self-doubt. Leth, on the other hand, knew she had the potential. “Don’t worry, Byleth. Just believe in yourself.” She turned Byleth’s face towards Claude, letting her face her fears head on. “As long as you put all your heart into it, you won’t hurt him.”

“By…” Claude whispered with a deep look of longing. They were still connected, and Claude’s slowed-down movements both soothed and encouraged, rekindling the fire they had for each other. He smiled warmly and pressed the gentlest kiss on her lips, assuring her that everything was going to be okay. “Whatever you do, I believe in you.”

The professor gulped down her last bit of uncertainty, now finding solace from both her partners. Ready and willing, she nodded to Leth, who then guided her hands to press against Claude’s pelvis. “Just bring forth your fire and think only of him,” she whispered, inspiring the new mage. “I promise you—everything is going to be just fine.”

Claude picked up the pace, returning to his beastly thrusts for a last sprint. He felt the physical heat from Byleth’s powers, which served as the final push to carry them to completion. He gripped her hips and cried out thunderously, letting his body take over and putting his complete trust into his lover’s hands.

Byleth had orgasmed together with Claude, but she concentrated on her mission. As he poured into her walls, she shut her eyes and focused, releasing her magic as her mind filled with thoughts of only Claude. The Claude that made her laugh. The Claude that made her heart beat. The Claude right in front of her that she loved so dearly, making her want nothing else in the world. This was all for him, and she prayed hard like never before to get this right. 

The light from her powers grew in size, filling the entire room in bright red. The last bits of icy blue fizzled like static into the air, dissipating into nothingness from the absolute warmth that encapsulated their bodies. Soon the air returned to normal, and Claude and Byleth took a moment to breathe in their achievement. 

Everything was going to be just fine indeed. 

\----------------------------

Byleth buried herself further into her lover’s chest. She made sure to provide as much warmth as she could muster, replenishing all that he’d lost from his earlier predicament. Claude chuckled quietly, amused after figuring out what she was trying to accomplish. “I’m fine, Teach. I don’t feel any leftover cold anymore.”

The professor wouldn’t relent, still pressing as much of her naked self against his own. She had taken Leth’s parting advice seriously, believing in her words “to keep him warm at all costs” when she had left them to be for the night. In truth, Byleth focused more on the latter half of that advice, which was a partial threat of her return in case a new issue would arise. Although she enjoyed their little evening tryst, Byleth’s curiosity had been satiated enough. It only led to her increased possessiveness, which was evidently shining through her actions.

Claude caught onto her jealousy. “You’re bothered about Leth, aren’t you?” he asked, and Byleth shriveled in embarrassment of his perceptiveness. He laughed at her quiet reaction, pleased with her adorable charm.

“You’re teasing me, Claude,” she huffed, cheeks blushing crimson. “I know you liked being with her…”

“Well, that was a totally new experience for me, which I know was enjoyable for you too, Teach. I have to admit—having two Byleths was like heaven on earth…”

Byleth knew he was still teasing, but she wanted to be sure of his intentions. She gulped down her unease and pressed him for answers. “Do you perhaps… want Leth more than me?”

Claude looked down at the small woman in his arms, brows furrowing in confusion. “What made you say that, Teach?”

“She’s… confident, powerful and forward. And she’s clearly more… _experienced_.”

“And?”

“I know you like that more in a woman. Perhaps she’s a better version of me…who’ll be good for you.”

There was a short pause, but Claude broke the silence with a smirk. “Is that all?”

Byleth grunted in annoyance, thinking she wasn’t being taken seriously. Before she could retort, Claude shifted both of them to sit upright on the bed. At this height, the moonlight illuminated their previously dim faces, and Byleth observed how Claude gazed at her with unmistakable conviction.

“Byleth, do you know what tradition my earring holds?” It was an odd question, seemingly unrelated, but Claude started fidgeting with the solo hoop dangler he wore on his left ear. He unclasped and removed it from his lobe, then allowed the three smaller rings hanging around the main hoop to drop on his palm. He raised his palm to eye-level, allowing for closer inspection. Byleth noticed how they were actually three subtly different colors—a dark gold, a whitish silver, and a unique rose-like shade—, and that each could be connected together as another piece of jewelry. 

“These three rings are meant to be given to specific people in my life.” Claude held each hoop up, connecting them together as he spoke. “The first is for a person who’s taught me—to grow and learn about different parts of myself and set me on a righteous path. The other is for someone who’s supported me through my best and worst, no matter how dark the woods may be. And finally…” 

He picked up the rose-colored hoop, attaching it to the other two to complete the set. “The last is for the most important person in my life. It symbolizes my desires and my devotion, my commitment to the one person who deserves all of me and my unconditional love… in hopes that they love me too.”

Claude brushed Byleth’s hair away from her ear and hooked the newly formed trio-hoop onto her earlobe. “You’re all of that and more, Byleth. My earring is an extension of my soul, and there’s no one in this world I’d give it to except you. You may have only met me briefly, but to me, you’re my whole world. You’re the only one I want in my life, and I hope that you accept me just the same.”

Speechless as always, Byleth fought back tears with a simple smile. She briefly touched her new earring, reveling in the intimacy of what it meant between them. Claude waited expectantly with a playful grin, partly worried she would say otherwise. 

Byleth ended her teasing with a most exuberant nod, then dove in for a kiss to show her gratitude. Claude took her into his arms, finally at ease to have and hold his most precious possession. They stayed like that for a long while, sinking back into bed and locked in the tightest of embraces. 

When they separated for air, Claude gazed deeply into her large, glassy orbs, wanting to get lost in her quiet beauty. “I love you, Byle—”

Byleth replied immediately without letting him finish the end of the syllable. “I love you, too!!!” she shouted. She then briefly caught herself from sounding off too loudly.

“Woah, By. Why so eager?” Claude laughed with much amusement, tousling her hair. 

“Because… you’ve said that to me on different occasions and I never got the chance to reply. So, I had to say it before I’d lose the chance to…again.”

Claude caressed her blushing cheek tenderly. “Then say it again for me, By. Let me hear all of you.”

Byleth relaxed into an easy smile and her heart beat into a steady, confident pace. This time, nothing was going to hold her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this one, as much as I enjoyed exploring this threesome as well. To be honest, I hit a creative and motivational roadblock these past few weeks, but I really owe it to some wonderful people who’ve had the kindness to reach out to me during the quiet. Thank you for inspiring me and letting me rediscover my drive, which is currently strong enough to sleep at 5am daily to write and revise (lol what body clock?)
> 
> As usual, I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. I realized I was also taking a turn for fluffy endings—do you guys like these? Would definitely appreciate the potential comments or occasional chats on Twitter @smoothpeachbutt
> 
> For now, I sleep!


End file.
